George Clooney reportedly told Presley Gerber “I am here for you” in the months before the model’s death.
The “Ocean’s Eleven” star, 65, had served as a father figure to Presley, 27, and his sister Kaia Gerber, 25, since their childhood, with both siblings calling him “Uncle George,” according to sources close to the actor. Clooney co-founded the tequila brand Casamigos with Presley’s father, Rande Gerber, 64, and the two men’s decades-long friendship extended into a deep bond between Clooney and Rande’s children with supermodel Cindy Crawford, 60.
A source close to Clooney said that the actor “would spend hours talking to Presley” throughout his life. The source added that Clooney’s guidance intensified after Presley received a DUI in 2018.
“Especially after Presley got a DUI (in 2018), George would advise, ‘Don’t do that, it’s not smart. Be careful,'” the source continued. “More recently, George shared loving notes like, ‘I am here for you,’ that kind of stuff.”
Another source close to Clooney’s wife, Amal, emphasized that the relationship went beyond casual family friends. “Presley was more than just a friend’s kid. They had a bond,” the source said.
An insider close to Clooney said his core message to Presley centered on staying away from substances, drawing from the actor’s own past experiences. “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,” the insider explained.
Presley’s death Sunday at Resolutions Living, a $7.7 million facility in Santa Monica, California, reportedly came as a “major shock” to Clooney despite his awareness of the younger man’s struggles. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has cited a suspected overdose as the cause.
“George is sick over this because Rande is his best friend and everyone felt for Presley,” another insider said. The same source noted that “there is no anger or shame, just deep sadness” surrounding the death, adding that “Presley had a real problem with depression and anxiety. No one can fault him for that. Presley was living a nightmare.”
A separate source described the death as a “tremendous gut punch” for Clooney. “George wears his heart on his sleeve, and he really, really loved Presley,” the source said. “He knew Presley had his struggles, so while you can’t say something like this was completely unimaginable, that doesn’t make it any less shocking or devastating.”
“It was an incredibly painful and unwanted surprise,” the source added.
Presley had entered the residential facility just days before his death, according to a source who spoke. The source said Presley “knew he needed help” but “did not appear sober” upon arrival. “He had not been doing well,” the source explained. “He’s always suffered from a huge lack of self-esteem and had trouble accepting his real self and feeling fully confident in who he was as a person.”
Crawford and Rande Gerber confirmed their son’s death in a joint statement, writing, “The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time.”
Presley’s final years included public struggles that placed him under intense scrutiny. In 2018, at age 19, he was arrested and charged with DUI after being pulled over in Beverly Hills, a period that sources said marked the beginning of Clooney’s more direct intervention in his life. Presley later obtained a face tattoo reading “misunderstood,” which he defended in interviews as personal expression despite widespread media attention. He had pursued modeling, walking for major fashion houses and appearing in campaigns, though sources indicated he never fully reconciled his public image with his private battles.
Clooney has not publicly commented on Presley’s death.