George Clooney has broken his silence on the death of Presley Gerber.
Clooney, 63, spoke to Entertainment Tonight on Friday evening at the Albies, his annual awards ceremony honoring unsung heroes of justice. It marked the first time the actor had publicly addressed the loss of the 27-year-old son of his close friends Cindy Crawford, 58, and Rande Gerber, 62.
“Quite honestly, it’s one of the most devastating things that’s happened to our family,” Clooney told the outlet.
He described Presley Gerber’s death last month as “the worst thing that could ever happen with family.”
“And their family is just … as you can imagine,” Clooney added, his voice trailing off.
The Gerber family has long been intertwined with the Clooneys. Rande Gerber and George Clooney cofounded the Casamigos tequila brand together in 2013, selling it four years later for a reported $1 billion. The two couples — Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney, Crawford and Gerber — have vacationed together for years and own neighboring properties in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Presley Gerber died on Sept. 20. He was the older of Crawford and Gerber’s two children; his sister, model Kaia Gerber, is 23.
The tragedy has drawn an outpouring of support from Hollywood’s A-list. Multiple outlets have reported that George and Amal Clooney have spent significant time with Crawford and Gerber in the weeks since, including a visit to Kaia Gerber’s home. Sources described the Clooneys as “shattered” by the loss and noted that George had been something of an uncle figure to Presley over the years.
Clooney’s comments at the Albies came as he and Amal hosted the fourth annual edition of the event, which they established through their Clooney Foundation for Justice. The ceremony recognizes journalists, human rights defenders and others working to expose abuse of power.
The actor has generally kept his public remarks focused on the evening’s honorees, making his emotional words about the Gerber family a notable departure from the event’s usual script.
Presley Gerber had pursued modeling like his mother and sister, walking runways for brands including Dolce & Gabbana and appearing in campaigns for Calvin Klein. He had been open about personal struggles in recent years, including a 2020 arrest for DUI and subsequent completion of a diversion program. Friends and family had rallied around him during those difficulties.
The Albies took place Friday in New York City.