New revelations have come to light about how George Clooney supported Cindy Crawford’s son, Presley Gerber, 27, who died on Sunday from a suspected overdose.
According to The Daily Mail, Clooney regularly checked in with Presley, the only son of his close friend and former business partner Rande Gerber, who has been married to Cindy Crawford since 1998. The couple also share a daughter, model and actress Kaia Gerber, 25.
While Clooney was known to both as “Uncle George,” he had a particular “bond” with Presley. “They were close. Presley was more than just a friend’s kid; they had a bond,” a source close to Clooney’s wife, Amal, told the site.
“George would spend hours talking to Presley,” a source close to the actor added. “George is the nicest guy in the world and would do anything to help Rande’s family.”
Clooney and Rande Gerber co-founded the Casamigos tequila brand with Mike Meldman in 2013, which they sold for $1 billion in 2017. The pair remained close to one another’s families, however, the sources said, with Clooney offering Presley encouragement throughout his struggles with addiction.
“Especially after Presley got a DUI, George would advise, ‘Don’t do that; it’s not smart. Be careful.’ More recently, George shared loving notes like, ‘I am here for you,’ that kind of stuff,” the source added.
Gerber checked himself into a rehab facility on Saturday and was pronounced dead around 12 hours later. He was open about his difficulties, sharing updates about his mental health on social media.
Clooney previously shared that he experimented with drugs in the 1980s, telling Esquire, “I did blow and stuff. I used to make jokes about how I did too many drugs, but the truth is, it was never a big issue for me at all.”
For Presley, substance abuse was a recurring theme of the 27-year-old’s life. Clooney tried to help, a source told The Daily Mail. “George had his own experiences with substances,” they said. “He was never addicted, but he tried it, and he knows about the attraction to drugs, so he could talk openly with Presley about this, and Presley could relate. His message was always, ‘Stay clean.’”
Presley’s loss has hit Clooney hard, another source added: “George is sick over this because Rande is his best friend and everyone felt for Presley. There is no anger or shame, just deep sadness. Presley had a real problem with depression and anxiety. No one can fault him for that. Presley was living a nightmare.”
The other said that the loss has reverberated within the stars’ close-knit circle, noting that stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt are also devastated for the family.
They shared, “It’s just awful. I know that George is so sad about it. This is devastating for everyone in that circle.”
