California Closes Investigation Into Sober Home Where Presley Gerber Died, Citing No Oversight

Presley Gerber, the 27-year-old model and son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, died of a suspected overdose on September 20, just one night after checking into Resolutions Living, a sober living facility in Santa Monica. A reform advocate unconnected to the family filed a complaint with the California Department of Health Care Services, asking whether the home had gone beyond the lawful scope of sober living and accepted someone who required a higher level of care. This week, Page Six reported that DHCS found the complaints unsubstantiated and no evidence of wrongdoing.

The key detail is what the agency says about its own authority. DHCS does not oversee sober living homes. It only investigates whether a facility is operating as an unlicensed treatment center. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner deferred the cause of death, and Gerber’s body was later cremated, leaving the official record incomplete. His family released a statement saying they are beyond heartbroken to lose their beloved son and brother. The reform advocate’s complaint pointed to something bigger than one facility: a 27-year-old entered an environment seeking help and was dead the following morning.

That gap between what sober living homes do and what regulators actually watch is now the center of the conversation. For families searching for help, advocates recommend verifying licensing, asking about staffing and medical protocols, and confirming whether a facility is equipped for the level of care a person actually needs. The investigation may be closed, but the questions it raised are not.

Have you or someone you know ever had to research a sober living facility? What did you learn that you wish you’d known sooner? Tell us in the comments.