Presley Gerber Should've Been Sent to Detox, Not Sober Home ... Would He Still Be Alive???

Published September 23, 2026 3:00 PM PDT

Presley Gerber should have been turned away from the sober living home where he died of a suspected overdose and, instead, sent directly to a detox center ... a move people in his world think would've saved his life.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell us ... when Presley arrived Saturday evening at the sober living home in Santa Monica -- apparently under the influence -- staffers should have refused to admit him, because the house is not a detox facility.

We're told Presley should have been mandated to complete a medical detox program to ensure no drugs were in his system before he was admitted to the home ... or some other outpatient facility setup for detox.

Our sources say this is standard practice in the substance abuse treatment industry ... and one source believes Presley would still be alive if the sober living home staff had stuck to protocol.

That's because in a detox environment, staffers check on patients check on patients every 15 to 30 minutes to make sure everything is copacetic -- so, there would have been a much faster response when he became unresponsive.

One widely held criticism of the rehab industry, in general, is that treatment centers cut corners when there's big money, or big celebrity, involved -- and our sources think that's precisely what happened in Presley's case.

TMZ broke the story ... Presley was found dead of a suspected overdose Sunday morning at Santa Monica home, just hours after arriving there. Cops say officers performed life-saving measures on Presley, but he was pronounced dead within minutes, and they do not suspect foul play.

As we first reported ... despite Presley's drug habit, sources with direct knowledge tell us a doctor was giving him ketamine, a general anesthetic that can be used to treat drug addiction.

Nick Matthews, a CEO in the rehab and sober living space, told us on "TMZ Live" ... detox should come before admission to a sober-living home.