Kaia Gerber spoke publicly about her brother Presley Gerber’s battle with drug addiction in a recent interview with Vogue [1].
The comments provide a rare glimpse into the private dynamics of the family, including parents Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, regarding substance abuse.
Gerber, 24 [4], said the family's experience with addiction had a leveling effect on everyone involved. She said the crisis shaped her own identity and how she interacted with her parents during her upbringing [1].
According to the interview, Gerber began to self-identify as the "easy one" in the family to avoid adding to her parents' stress [1]. She said she never wanted to ask for help because it felt like too much to have two children who were needing [1].
Presley Gerber previously discussed his own substance use in December 2025 [5]. While the family has largely kept these struggles private, Kaia Gerber's latest comments highlight the long-term emotional impact on siblings of those struggling with addiction.
Gerber said, "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone" [2].
The interview was published online on Tuesday, Aug. 13 [2]. It follows a period of relative silence from the model regarding her brother's health and recovery process.
“"I think that’s also why I started to self‑identify as the easy one and never wanted to ask for help."”
This disclosure highlights a common psychological phenomenon known as 'glass child syndrome,' where siblings of children with high-needs or chronic illnesses feel invisible or pressured to be perfect to avoid burdening their parents. By speaking out, Gerber provides visibility to the secondary emotional toll that addiction takes on the immediate family unit beyond the individual struggling with the substance.
