Presley Gerber was admitted to the Resolutions Living sober house while high on drugs and died just hours later, according to reporting by TMZ, prompting public scrutiny of the facility’s founder, Dr. Reza Nabavi. Nabavi declined to comment when approached in Malibu on September 30, 2026, holding up his hand to a photographer as questions were raised regarding admissions policies that industry peers describe as violating standard sober-house rules.
Admissions Controversy at Resolutions Living
The sequence of events leading to the September 2026 death began when Presley’s sober coach contacted Resolutions Living to ask if the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber could stay at the facility, explicitly stating he was high. According to TMZ, the admissions director instructed the coach to bring him in anyway, defying industry standards that prohibit admitting intoxicated individuals. The sober coach dropped Presley off and left. Video obtained by TMZ shows Presley inside the sober house appearing clearly high before he allegedly overdosed hours later. Sources cited by TMZ indicate the admissions director was fired following the incident, and Dr. Reza has privately asserted the facility bears no responsibility, instead placing the blame on the sober coach.
Public records examined by Page Six and the Daily Mail reveal that Dr. Reza Nabavi, now 50, faced significant regulatory hurdles before launching his career in addiction treatment. In February 2002—two years before earning his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology—Oakland Police Department officers found a 25-year-old Nabavi asleep in a car in an area known for narcotics and prostitution. Inside the vehicle with him was a 15-year-old girl who told police she did not know him well and was under the influence of methamphetamine, per official documents cited by Page Six. Officers reported finding meth, marijuana, a hunting knife, a handgun, and ammunition. Nabavi pleaded no contest in May 2002 to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance and received 36 months of probation.
That same month, Nabavi was arrested a second time for possessing narcotics and narcotics paraphernalia after agreeing to sell meth to an informant. Police reported recovering meth, a glass meth pipe, and marijuana from his person. In June 2002, he pleaded no contest to a second misdemeanor drug possession charge and received another 36-month probation term. When Nabavi applied for psychologist registration with the California Board of Psychology in September 2004, the board denied the application due to his criminal convictions, substance use, and unprofessional conduct.
Probationary Licensing and Rehabilitation Milestones
Board records obtained by the Daily Mail show Nabavi eventually secured registration as a psychological assistant in January 2006, though that status was promptly revoked and stayed. The stayed revocation required compliance with strict probationary terms for five years, including mandatory psychological evaluations, employer notification, weekly monitoring by a licensed psychologist, participation in a drug and alcohol recovery program, and random drug testing. A 2008 filing notes that Nabavi stated he had been clean and sober since May 31, 2002, regularly participated in Narcotics Anonymous, and acted as a sponsor. The California Board of Psychology granted an early termination of his probation in May 2008. Nabavi co-founded Resolutions Living alongside Dr. Maryam Akbar, operating the treatment facility where Presley Gerber ultimately died.
Common Questions Regarding the Incident
Who owns Resolutions Living?
Resolutions Living is owned and operated by Dr. Reza Nabavi and Dr. Maryam Akbar.
According to reports, Presley’s sober coach called the facility to state that Presley was high, but the admissions director told the coach to bring him in anyway, contrary to standard sober house rules.
Public records show Nabavi was arrested twice in 2002 on drug-related charges in California, leading to two misdemeanor convictions and initial denials of his psychology license before he completed probation and gained licensure in 2006.
Has Dr. Reza Nabavi commented on the death?
When approached in Malibu by photographers, Nabavi held up his hand and declined to answer questions about the incident or the facility’s admissions policies.
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