Just days after Presley Gerber’s sudden death at 27, his former girlfriend Lexi Wood opened a private window into the young man she knew away from cameras, modeling campaigns and his famous family. Among the photographs and videos she shared was something remarkably ordinary: a small sticky note Presley had once left for her.
The handwriting was casual. The message was brief. Yet after his death, those few words have become one of the most intimate memories shared publicly by someone who loved him.
Presley, the eldest child of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber and older brother of Kaia Gerber, died on September 20, 2026, at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. He was 27. Authorities are investigating the death as a suspected overdose, while the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has said the official cause remains deferred pending additional testing. (AP News)
A romance that became a lasting friendship
Presley and Lexi publicly confirmed their romance in November 2022. At the time, Presley appeared deeply smitten, sharing photographs of them together and telling followers that he had found someone who made him extraordinarily happy.
Their romantic relationship ultimately ended, but Wood says the connection between them did not simply disappear.
In her September 22 tribute, she explained that Presley had remained an important part of her life and that friendship had always been at the heart of their changing relationship. She remembered him as exceptionally kind, open, loving and courageous. (Yahoo News Malaysia)
Alongside happier photographs and videos from their time together, Wood included the little handwritten note.
It read:
“I’m so proud of you, you’re amazing Lexi. I love you.”
Some reports show Presley signing it with his nickname, “Prez.” (Yahoo News Malaysia)
There was no elaborate declaration and no audience when it was apparently written. It was simply an affectionate message left behind for someone he cared about.
Years later, Wood chose it as one of the memories through which she wanted people to remember him.
“He loved so deeply”
Wood’s tribute painted a picture that contrasted sharply with some of the more troubled chapters of Presley’s public life.
She described him as romantic and thoughtful and emphasized his resilience during difficult periods. She also said Presley had fought hard for his life and had been willing to speak openly about those struggles because he hoped his experiences could eventually help other people. (TMZ)
That part of her tribute echoes something Presley himself had increasingly done in public.
In the years before his death, he discussed his experiences with mental health and substance use and tried to encourage more open conversations around them. His death came while he was receiving treatment, and authorities have cautioned that the definitive medical cause will require further testing. (People.com)
Behind one of Hollywood’s most recognizable families
Presley grew up in circumstances few children could understand.
His mother, Cindy Crawford, became one of the defining supermodels of her generation. His father, Rande Gerber, became a successful businessman, while younger sister Kaia eventually built a major modeling and acting career of her own.
Presley initially seemed destined for a similar path.
He entered modeling as a teenager and went on to work with prominent fashion houses and brands. Photographs of the striking young model frequently emphasized just how strongly he resembled his mother.
Yet the public image never told his entire story.
Presley later became candid about periods of depression, panic attacks, addiction and treatment. He also experimented with different approaches to recovery while trying to find something that worked for him. (AP News)
Those disclosures gave outsiders fragments of what he was experiencing.
Wood’s tribute offers something different: a glimpse of Presley through the eyes of somebody who knew him personally.
The photograph that now feels different
The sticky note is powerful precisely because it was never intended to become part of a public story.
It belonged to an ordinary moment between two people.
Presley wasn’t posing for a photographer. He wasn’t giving an interview about his struggles or walking a runway. He was apparently just leaving encouragement for Lexi.
Wood ended her tribute by expressing gratitude for the years of friendship, memories and love they had shared, saying Presley would continue to occupy a special place in her heart. (Yahoo News Malaysia)
And amid the enormous attention surrounding the circumstances of his death, that tiny note preserves another side of him.
A young man telling someone he cared about that he was proud of her.
Someone reminding her that she was amazing.
And someone ending the message with the simplest words of all:
“I love you.”
For more on Presley Gerber, you can learn about who was with him at rehab when he died and see rare photos from his relationship with Isabella Jones.
