Illustrator keeps crashing when I use gradients!!!!!

Same here, Illustrator 27.6.1 (and previous).

I just had this happen again, its not everytime, but it is frustrating. 
1-i selected an object in my creative cloud saved file
2-opened the gradient control window (which was linear 0°not the default black white, but the custom 2 color white blue i used moments before)
3-dropped the color swatch of the selected object in the middle of that gradient span with the intention of replacing those 2 colors (yellow)
4-unexpected quit lost data.

my version 27.2 on mac 12.6.3 rgb document rgb colors swatches (doh! cmyk proof setup (secondary note-maybe alert for workspace mismatch)) 

hope this additional data helps adobe fix the crashing problem.

I am having the same problem!!!!!

I also have this problem. I'm using the most current version of illustrator on High Sierra and any time I use the gradient tool on an object, the program freezes and I have to force quit. Also happens when I apply a freeform gradient from the gradient window, but a linear and radial gradient work fine when applied from the window (not using the gradient tool). I tried resetting my preferences and that didn't help. It's been doing this for several weeks now (on every file I open/create) and I've restarted my computer many times in those weeks. Really disappointed to see people having trouble with this since January and still no solution. 

Illustrator is crashing for me as well when I try and add another gradient to a layer. I'm successfully able to add one layer of gradient, then when I add one more, it crashes.  This is really frustrating. I have the latest Mac OS update and using a MBP 2015. Latest version of Adobe CC as well.

Happening to me as well, when I drag a swatch to the gradient slider in the gradient palette... Any swatch - black, white, spot and CMYK.

v24.3 on Mac Mojave. Happens in newly created files and old files. Never happened until this update. I have restarted several times with no improvement.

This has happened to me as well- three times in two days. I am on CC most current version. I was using a gradient that was created in a file that I downloaded from an Adobe Cert. Trainer on bringyourownlaptop training class. I was simply adjusting the gradient so that the balance of the lighter color was more toward the 70% range using the gradient window panel. As soon as I move the slider with a color in it the program crashes and shuts down. I also had it crash while adjusting the gradient while on the object. The object was a simple circle. 

Yes im having same issue new SSD Drive fresh copy of macos and it crashes everytime really annoying me as i loose my work everytime

Not sure yet but might have found a fix

Preference > Performance > uncheck "GPU Performance"

This happens to me too. It must have crashed 10 or more times even after reinstall. What a garbage update.

I have this problem too. 8 out of 10 times when I try to edit gradients, Illustrator will not crash per se but it won't close the gradient tool when I try to (the tool panel hides but it's obviously still active), and thus all efforts to continue working, select other layers or even restart the app is not responding / grayed out. When I go to "force quit" there is no indication that Illustrator is not responding.

My most recent sample - which caused me to search for a fix and end up here - was a regular linear gradient from full color to transparency, placed on a shape. RGB color mode (web graphics). The full document is less than 1MB and there is no sign of stress in the form of increased fan activity or lagging of other programs during this task.

I am on a MBP macOS Catalina 10.15.3 with reasonable specs (2,9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 16 GB RAM, Radeon Pro 560 4 GB, Intel HD Graphics 630 1536 MB), and Creative Cloud / all apps are updated.