Presley Gerber is reported to have spoken candidly about his addiction recovery shortly before his death at age 27, including describing what he felt he had been avoiding. Multiple outlets cite comments in which he says he was “absolutely terrified” when he underwent a treatment for addiction about six months before he died.

The reports describe the treatment as controversial and present it as part of an effort to address his substance issues. Each outlet also says Gerber’s family praised him for confronting “what I had been running from,” framing his willingness to face his struggles as a key part of the period leading up to his death. Differences in coverage focus mainly on tone and characterization—some emphasize his fear and the contested nature of the program, while others highlight family remarks and his candidness—without providing materially different details about the timing or the general circumstances described.

Across sources, the shared elements are the roughly six-month lead-up to his death, his reported statements about fear and confronting long-avoided issues, and references to addiction treatment that outlets characterize as controversial.