A shaken George Clooney has flown into Los Angeles to console his close friends Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber following the sudden death of their son Presley.
The Ocean’s Eleven actor, 65, is said to have taken the first available flight out from his home in Lake Como, Italy, to be by his friends’ side, reveals an insider, as Cindy, 60, Rande, 64, and their daughter Kaia, 25, are all “in a world of pain no one can describe”.
The source tells Woman’s Day, “They’re in total shock. They’ve had so many ups and downs with Presley, but they truly thought this stint in rehab would be the chance he needed. Everyone was optimistic, which is what makes this even more difficult.”
Cindy’s devastating loss
Aged just 27, Presley was found dead on Sunday 20 September after checking himself into the Resolutions Living facility in Santa Monica a few hours earlier.
At the time of print, no official cause of death had been released, however, detectives were “investigating the death as a suspected overdose”.
And as the questions surrounding his last moments continue to mount, no one is more desperate for answers than his supermodel mum.
“Everyone’s worried about Cindy,” says our insider.
“He was her firstborn – the most beautiful boy she’d ever seen. She doesn’t know how she’ll get through it. “And Rande needs to have a close eye kept on him too. He’s putting on a soldier’s front for the girls, but he and Presley were incredibly close.”
A family friend steps in
Two days after Presley’s death, a “devastated” George – whom the Gerber kids referred to as “Uncle George” – was seen arriving at Kaia’s LA home with his wife Amal, 48.
“George flew out to be by the family’s side,” says our source.
“Rande is his best friend and Presley was like a second son to him. George is furious this has happened, but he’s really trying to be strong for Rande and Cindy, and get them through the next few nightmare weeks.”
The star’s quiet grief
But that’s not to say that George himself isn’t reeling behind the scenes. The star has been close to the Gerbers since the mid-’90s and watched their kids grow up. He was also the one who Presley turned to when things got dark.
“George would spend hours talking to him,” another well-placed insider reveals, adding that George had regularly checked in on him following his drink-driving arrest in 2018.
A heartbreaking struggle
Just months ago, George even sent Presley a letter of support to make sure he was staying on the right path.
“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,” the source says.
Presley had been open about his addiction struggles in the past, with the model admitting on Instagram in 2024 that he was “dealing with a current, very high opioid addiction”.
If you’re struggling with addiction, please call 0800 787 797 or visit alcoholdrughelp.org.nz.
For the Suicide Crisis Helpline, phone 0508 TAUTOKO.
