Lexi Wood, the model and Summer House star, shared an emotional tribute to Presley Gerber on Instagram on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, two days after his death at a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. The 29-year-old’s post included personal photos, Polaroids, and candid snapshots from years of shared memories, accompanied by a message that painted a picture of a bond that lasted far longer than the brief romance the public saw.
“It’s hard to put into words what it means to lose someone who was such a meaningful part of my life for so many years,” Wood wrote. “Through every chapter and every version of our relationship, friendship was always at the core of it.”
Wood and Gerber first became friends around 2015, seven years before they briefly dated in late 2022. While their romantic relationship lasted only about a month, Wood’s tribute made clear that the friendship underneath it never ended.
Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber, died on September 20, 2026. His death is being investigated as a suspected overdose. He had checked into Resolutions Living, a Santa Monica rehabilitation facility, just 12 hours before being found unresponsive.
What Lexi Wood Said in Her Instagram Tribute
Wood’s post was one of the most personal public statements made in the days following Gerber’s death. While other figures in his life have kept their grief private, Wood chose to speak openly about the person she knew.
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She described Gerber as “one of the kindest, most open, loving and courageous people.” She said he “loved so deeply, so purely, was incredibly romantic and thoughtful.”
Wood then addressed what many who followed Gerber online already knew: his long struggle with mental health and addiction.
“He was also incredibly resilient,” she wrote. “He fought so hard for his life and he was brave enough to be open about that fight. More than anything, he wanted to use his story to help other people, and he did.”
She closed the post with a reflection on the years they shared. “I feel so lucky to have shared so many years of friendship, so many memories and so much love with him. He will always hold such a special place in my heart, and we will all miss him forever.”
The post included a sunset photo of Gerber, personal Polaroid images, and other candid shots from their time together. It was not a polished public statement. It read like a private goodbye made public because the loss demanded it.
The Timeline: From Seven Years of Friendship to a Brief Romance
Wood and Gerber moved in similar circles for years before they ever dated. Both were young models working in Los Angeles and New York, connected through mutual friends in the fashion and entertainment world.
Their friendship began around 2015, when Gerber was roughly 16 and Wood was about 18. Over the next seven years, they maintained a close bond that Wood described as the “core” of every version of their relationship.
In November 2022, the two confirmed they were dating. Gerber went Instagram-official on November 1, posting photos with Wood and fielding questions from followers. In a Q&A session, he told his audience that he had been “in love with her since the day I laid eyes on her.” Wood shared her own post, writing simply, “If you didn’t already know, I’m in love.”
The early days of the relationship moved fast. Wood said it took Gerber “less than a week” to ask her to be his girlfriend after their first date. When asked about marriage, Gerber said it was “for sure” in their future.
The couple attended public events together, including a Casamigos Halloween party hosted by Gerber’s parents. Days later, they made their first red-carpet appearance alongside Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber at a Malibu event.
But by December 2022, approximately one month after going public, the two had split. A source told E! News at the time that they “realized very quickly it wasn’t going to be a long-term relationship.”
Despite the breakup, Wood’s tribute confirmed what many suspected: the end of the romance did not end the friendship.
Relationship Timeline:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| ~2015 | Wood and Gerber become friends through mutual circles in the modeling world |
| 2015-2022 | Maintained a close friendship spanning seven years |
| November 1, 2022 | Went Instagram-official as a couple |
| November 2022 | Attended Casamigos Halloween party and Malibu red carpet event with his parents |
| December 2022 | Split after approximately one month of dating |
| 2022-2026 | Continued their friendship beyond the romantic relationship |
| September 22, 2026 | Wood posts public tribute following Gerber’s death |
Who Is Lexi Wood? From Toronto to Summer House
Lexi Wood was born on September 22, 1997, in Toronto, Canada. Her mother, Shannon Cassidy Wood, is a former model, and her father, Scott Wood, is a firefighter. She has a sister, Tiffany, with whom she co-hosts the podcast 6 and 9 alongside their mother.
Wood was scouted for modeling at 10 years old, and the industry became her path out of a difficult school experience. She has spoken publicly about being homeschooled due to bullying, describing modeling as something that helped her “get out of my shell.”
Her career took her from Toronto to Paris, Miami, Los Angeles, and eventually New York City, where she currently lives. She has worked with brands including Alo Yoga, Swarovski, and FRAME Denim, and has been featured in Vogue Japan and Galore magazine. Her Instagram following sits at approximately 1.2 million.
Wood joined the cast of Bravo’s Summer House for Season 9, which premiered on February 12, 2025. She was brought onto the show through her friendship with longtime cast member Amanda Batula and developed a summer romance with fellow cast member Jesse Solomon that became a central storyline.
Her past relationships with both Presley Gerber and Brooklyn Beckham were referenced by her Summer House castmates during Season 9 episodes, bringing added public attention to her dating history.
Lexi Wood Profile:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Lexi Wood |
| Date of Birth | September 22, 1997 |
| Age | 29 |
| Hometown | Toronto, Canada |
| Current Residence | New York City |
| Career | Model, content creator, podcaster, reality TV personality |
| TV Show | Summer House (Season 9, Bravo) |
| Instagram Followers | ~1.2 million |
| Notable Brand Work | Alo Yoga, Swarovski, FRAME Denim |
| Podcast | 6 and 9 (with sister Tiffany and mother Shannon) |
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How Presley Gerber Died: What Investigators Have Confirmed
Presley Gerber died on September 20, 2026, at Resolutions Living, a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. He was 27 years old.
According to NBC News, citing a law enforcement source, Gerber checked into the facility at 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. He was found unresponsive in the room where he had been sleeping the following morning. Officers from the Santa Monica Police Department responded to a report of a possible overdose at approximately 9:35 a.m. When they arrived, they found a deceased adult male who was described as “cold to the touch,” indicating he had been dead for some time before being discovered.
The Santa Monica Police Department confirmed the death is being investigated as a suspected overdose. Their statement noted: “At this time, there is no indication of foul play.”
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed that Gerber died at a “rehabilitation facility.” The official cause and manner of death remain listed as “deferred” pending additional toxicology testing. An autopsy has been completed and the body has been released.
Dispatch calls obtained by PEOPLE revealed that authorities were called to the Santa Monica address regarding a reported cardiac arrest and an apparent overdose.
Cindy Crawford’s representative confirmed the death to multiple outlets and shared a statement from the family: “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
Presley Gerber’s Public Struggle With Mental Health and Addiction
What makes Wood’s tribute particularly resonant is the context it draws from. Gerber’s struggles with depression and substance use were not a secret. He chose to make them public.
Gerber began speaking openly about his mental health years before his death. In 2020, he made headlines when he got the word “MISUNDERSTOOD” tattooed on his face, a decision he later said reflected how he felt about being perceived by the public. The tattoo was eventually removed.
On Instagram, Gerber launched a recurring series he called “Mental Health Mondays,” in which he shared candid videos discussing his experiences with depression, addiction, and recovery. The initiative was deliberate. He framed it not as a confession but as an invitation, a way to “spark real conversations about the stuff most people hide.”
In one of those posts, he wrote: “The most free I felt was when I was finally honest with myself.”
In another, he offered practical advice to followers going through difficult days: “Move your body regardless of how you’re feeling. Get outside. Get some sun. If you don’t feel like moving, lay on the grass.”
In November 2025, Gerber posted that he “had to step back and take care of my own mental health for a bit,” signaling a period of withdrawal from public life.
In an interview with Vogue published the month before his death, his sister Kaia Gerber, 25, spoke about the family’s experience watching Presley navigate his challenges. While specific details of that interview have been kept within the family’s preferred scope of privacy, it confirmed that his struggles were ongoing and deeply felt by everyone close to him.
Gerber also had a 2019 DUI arrest, for which he was sentenced to three years’ probation, a DUI program, and two days of community service.
Brooklyn Beckham, the Modeling World, and Wood’s Other High-Profile Connection
Wood’s tribute to Gerber also highlighted a pattern in her life: her connections to prominent families in entertainment and fashion, forged through years of working in the modeling industry.
Before dating Gerber, Wood was linked to Brooklyn Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham. In March 2018, Wood and Brooklyn were photographed kissing at a Los Angeles tattoo parlor. The sighting caused a wave of tabloid attention because Brooklyn had recently separated from actress Chloe Grace Moretz.
Wood confirmed on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in April 2025 that her relationship with Brooklyn lasted “a little over a year,” longer than most people assumed based on the paparazzi photos. She spoke warmly about the Beckham family, calling them “the coolest family” and describing both David and Victoria as “the nicest.”
By 2019, Brooklyn had moved on and eventually married Nicola Peltz. Wood said she has had no contact with him since appearing on Summer House and expressed no interest in reconnecting. “He has a whole life, and I love that for him,” she said.
Her relationship with Gerber followed a similar trajectory: a connection through mutual friends in the modeling world, a friendship that preceded the romance, and a public dating period that ended quickly but left the underlying bond intact.
The Response From Those Who Knew Presley Gerber
Wood’s tribute was one of several public statements made in the days following Gerber’s death. The response from the entertainment and fashion communities has been marked by grief and by recurring references to Gerber’s warmth, vulnerability, and openness about his personal battles.
The Gerber family has asked for privacy during this time. Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber have not made individual public statements beyond the family’s initial request for space. Kaia Gerber has similarly remained out of the public spotlight in the immediate aftermath.
Friends and acquaintances from the modeling and entertainment industries have shared their own messages online, many echoing the same themes Wood addressed: Gerber’s kindness, his courage in speaking about addiction, and the sense that his loss was both tragic and preventable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Lexi Wood date Presley Gerber?
Yes. Wood and Gerber confirmed their relationship on Instagram in November 2022 after seven years of friendship. They attended public events together, including a Casamigos Halloween party hosted by his parents. They split approximately one month later but maintained their friendship.
What did Lexi Wood say about Presley Gerber’s death?
Wood posted an emotional Instagram tribute on September 22, 2026, calling Gerber “one of the kindest, most open, loving and courageous people.” She praised his resilience and his willingness to speak publicly about his mental health struggles, writing that “he fought so hard for his life and he was brave enough to be open about that fight.”
How did Presley Gerber die?
Gerber died on September 20, 2026, at Resolutions Living, a rehabilitation facility in Santa Monica, California. He checked into the facility at 10 p.m. the previous night and was found unresponsive the following morning. His death is being investigated as a suspected overdose. The official cause and manner of death remain deferred pending toxicology results.
How long were Lexi Wood and Presley Gerber friends?
Wood and Gerber were friends for approximately seven years before they dated in late 2022. Their friendship began around 2015 through mutual connections in the modeling industry and continued after their romantic relationship ended.
Who is Lexi Wood?
Lexi Wood is a 29-year-old Canadian model, content creator, and reality television personality from Toronto. She joined the cast of Bravo’s Summer House for Season 9 in 2025. She has worked with brands including Alo Yoga, Swarovski, and FRAME Denim, and has approximately 1.2 million Instagram followers. She has previously been linked to Brooklyn Beckham and Presley Gerber.
Was Presley Gerber open about his mental health struggles?
Yes. Gerber launched a recurring Instagram series called “Mental Health Mondays,” where he discussed depression, addiction, and recovery. He described dealing with mental health as “a 24/7 job” and said he hoped to “spark real conversations about the stuff most people hide.” His openness was a central theme in Wood’s tribute.
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Last Updated on September 23, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
