Kaia Gerber is offering another glimpse into her grief following the death of her older brother, Presley Gerber. The model recently shared a moving passage about loss, giving followers a look at how she is processing life without her sibling.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Nov. 8, Kaia posted a photograph of several books focused on grief and loss.
She also highlighted a passage from author Joan Didion that describes the unpredictable nature of mourning.
All About the Touching Post
“Grief, when it comes, is nothing we expect it to be. Grief has no distance. Grief comes in waves, paroxysms, sudden apprehensions that weaken the knees and blind the eyes and obliterate the dailiness of life.”
The passage comes from Didion’s book “The Year of Magical Thinking,” which explores the author’s experience after the sudden death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne. Its words appear to resonate with Kaia as she navigates the loss of her brother.
Presley died Sept. 20 at age 27. He was the son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber.
The family confirmed his death in October, sharing a statement remembering him as a beloved son and brother. His official cause of death has not been publicly determined.
Kaia Previously Penned a Heartbreaking Letter
Kaia previously addressed the loss in a lengthy letter to Presley, which she shared with her Instagram followers on Oct. 18. In the emotional message, she reflected on their childhood, their close relationship and the difficulty of imagining a future without him.
“i don’t have the words. and maybe the tiny mercy is that we didn’t need them all along. words fail and words subtract and words summarize and words always lack truth. and how naive of me to believe that language could transcend grief,” she wrote.
The model also described how much being Presley’s sister meant to her, calling it her favorite part of herself.
“i was born loving you. i will die loving you. there was never anything else,” she continued.
Among the memories she shared was a childhood moment when she was frightened to get her ears pierced. Presley volunteered to go first, helping his younger sister through the experience. Looking back on that memory after his death, Kaia wrote, “you always went first.”
She later added, “and i really fucking wish you hadn’t gone first this time.”
Kaia also admitted she is still learning how to live with the absence of someone she once could call whenever she wanted.
“i am learning how to love you when i cannot see you. how to tell you something without picking up my phone to call you. how to be your sister in a world that i can’t reach for you in,” she wrote.
The letter ended with a powerful reflection on the bond they shared and the pain that comes with losing him.
“because, presley, even knowing where it ends, i would choose it all over again. every second. i would walk knowingly toward this grief if it meant that on the other side of it i got to be your sister.”
She closed the tribute with a deeply personal farewell: “and this party sucks so bad without you, prez.”
Kaia Gerber Shares Emotional Message About Grief Following Brother Presley’s Passing