'Everyone in the family is worried about Kaia': After Presley Gerber's death, friends panic that his 'depressed' sister is on the brink... as her New York 'meltdown' and dark fear she can't escape are revealed

Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande Gerber spent years desperately trying to keep their son Presley Gerber away from drugs.

The supermodel and businessman dedicated their focus to helping the Calvin Klein model as he battled an addiction that began during his teenage years in the modeling world.

Despite their efforts, Presley died last Sunday of a suspected overdose at the age of 27 while in a rehab home in Santa Monica, California.

But amid the years of turmoil, another child needed their attention too. 

Crawford and Gerber also went out of their way to protect their daughter, 25-year-old Kaia.

'They wanted to make sure that Kaia never encountered the same issues that Presley did, so they kept a close eye on her,' a source close to the family told the Daily Mail.

'She stayed in high school in Malibu until she was 16 years old and had completed her junior year before she started modeling full time.'

Presley, on the other hand, left high school at age 15 to model in New York City and Europe. Despite leaving school, he still managed to graduate on time at the age of 17 by maintaining his studies while modeling.

Now, as Kaia grieves the loss of the brother she often called her 'best friend,' her parents are focused on her well-being. 

'Kaia is very sad; it's hard for her to believe her brother is gone forever, it's not sinking in just yet, it's a lot to digest, understandably,' the source told the Daily Mail. 

'Everyone in the family is worried about Kaia, they fear she won't be able to handle this, but she has a good network around her. She has old friends that are making her feel better.'

Kaia - who recently told Vogue she tried to be the 'easy child' because Presley was so much work - may need all her parents' attention after the heartbreak of losing her brother.

'Her biggest allies are her parents and her boyfriend Lewis, even his dad Bill,' the source said.

And then there are her longtime pals she grew up with, who have come through for her in her time of need. 'She has plenty of Malibu friends, like a lot of old school pals that have reached out,' added the source. 'She is well liked for sure.'

Her famous friends have also let her know they care. 'Kendall [Jenner] checked in on her and her mom Kris [Jenner] sent flowers. 

As far as her modeling and acting career, Kaia is taking a break to heal.

'Kaia had a packed schedule, and she has delayed a lot of her work stuff to deal with this. Everyone has been understanding,' noted the source. 'I don't know when she will go back to work.'

Kaia, whom the source says 'has never done drugs and is squeaky clean,' is sad that people she loves are drawn toward drugs. 

'Kaia feels like she can't get away from this drug stuff and it makes her depressed,' said the source. 'She hates drugs and doesn't touch them and is so sad they took Presley away from her. She and Presley were best friends.'

This is not the first time the couple has worked hard to make sure their only daughter is safe.

They also stepped in to help the young Vogue cover girl in late December 2019. The famous couple flew to New York City when their daughter seemed to be having problems with her then-boyfriend Pete Davidson, now 32, who is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.

At the time, it was suspected that Davidson was on drugs. In the past, the comedian has admitted to using Ketamine, cocaine, LSD and marijuana.

'She already went through this before with Pete, whom she dated for a while,' began the source.

'Kaia had a very hard time with Pete. She dated Pete for like four or five months in late 2019, and she was instantly smitten because he has so much charisma and is smart and hilarious, but then he took a bad turn. He used to do drugs, and he went back on drugs at the time. He was a mess,' said the source.

Things came to a head, though it is not known what caused their relationship meltdown. 

'When Pete flipped out on her, both her parents stepped in. They flew to NYC to meet with them, and they said "No way,"' said the source.

Crawford and Gerber put on a unified front as they came to the rescue. 'They are amazing parents and did the right thing. They were like, "Come home now, Kaia,"' explained the source.

'New York City is a hard place for anyone, especially sheltered kids from Malibu. Cindy is a very tough mama bear. They made her walk away from Pete because of his history with drugs and all his rehab visits.'

Davidson has been sober for the past two years, and has been outspoken about his sobriety journey, often mentioning that fatherhood and other milestones have inspired him to stay off drugs. The actor welcomed daughter Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson in December 2025 with then-partner Elsie Hewitt. The couple broke up in May.

Crawford and Gerber also worried about the age difference between Kaia and Davidson. 

'Pete was much older than Kaia, like seven years older. At the time he was like 26, and she was only 18.'

Working like adults in a busy city was a lot for Kaia and Presley to take. 

'Kaia and Presley were seriously decent, nice kids from Malibu who were getting their first taste of fame at the time,' shared the source. 'They were new models in New York City, and everyone thought they were amazing. They were just learning the ropes though and were not used to the ugly side of New York City.'

According to the family insider, Kaia's life improved after she left Manhattan.

'After Kaia left Pete, she also left New York City to spend some time with her parents in Los Angeles,' said the source.

On January 15, 2020, Crawford was photographed at a New York airport taking her mini-me daughter to Los Angeles. 

'I seriously think Kaia needed a time out. She totally grounded herself by fostering dogs, and that is when she started to read books like crazy. She healed herself,' the source said. 

And Presley was not seen much in New York City after the summer of 2020 either, with the siblings appearing to have moved back to the West Coast together. 'At about the same time Presley left New York City for LA,' the source said. 

On Thursday, longtime family friend and Kaia's Palm Royale costar Laura Dern was seen dropping off a bouquet at her home.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Crawford, Gerber, Davidson, and Jenner.

Presley's death is being investigated by the Santa Monica Police Department as a suspected overdose after he was found deceased on September 20, 2026, at the luxury recovery facility Resolutions Living in Santa Monica.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has completed the autopsy, but official cause and manner of death are deferred pending toxicology results, which can take several weeks or months.

Detectives have stated there is currently no indication of foul play, but they are actively trying to trace the source and supplier of the substances involved.

Presley had checked into the facility about 12 hours before being found unresponsive.

Funeral plans have not yet been announced.