Former ABC News anchor Kendis Gibson claims racism, toxic culture drove him to attempt suicide in 2018

In his new memoir, former “World News Now” anchor Celebrity Gibson paints a worrying picture of workplace culture ABC Newsthat describes an environment allegedly marred by obscurity, bullying and racism — factors he claims contributed to a suicide attempt.

Gibson’s book, “Five Trips: An Investigative Journey into Mental Health, Psychedelic Healing, and Saving a Life,” details his nearly five-year exploration of the use of illegal drugs to address mental health issues, including depression, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts. He claims these challenges were exacerbated during his time at ABC.

Kendis Gibson joined ABC News in 2014 as a correspondent and called it her “dream job.”

Kendis Gibson remembers receiving a warm welcome from Robin Roberts at the start of his ABC career

Gibson recalls a warm welcome on the air from “Good Morning America” stars Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan and George Stephanopoulos, with Roberts calling him “the newest member of the ‘Good Morning America’ family.”

While Roberts was “genuine on and off camera,” Gibson says a Black colleague warned him privately with a cryptic remark: “Welcome to Mickey’s plantation.” When he asked for clarity, they replied, “You’ll find out.” Gibson later reflected that the comment implied veiled racism, adding: “There was some truth to what was behind it.”

Taking over from TJ Holmes on ‘World News Now’

Gibson joined ABC News in 2014, starting in Washington, DC before moving to Los Angeles and eventually New York, where he took over the role of World News Now overnight anchor from TJ Holmes. According to Page sixhe noted the demanding job’s high turnover, revealing, “Nineteen co-anchors during my time there,” with health issues often cited as a key factor.

While Gibson acknowledged that he began the role with “an underlying depression that was already there”, he said that his mental health declined significantly during his last two years on the show. Unlike other anchors who transitioned to new roles, Gibson claimed network executives ignored his repeated requests to step away from the night desk, despite the toll it was taking on his well-being.

Gibson claims that the pressures of his role became so overwhelming that he began relying on Ambien to manage insomnia and anxiety. Despite his struggles, he says he had a hard time turning down assignments, spending years “trying to perform at the top of the game … at an overnight show (and) during the day. It was just a lot, and the network didn’t listen to me at all.”

Kendis Gibson Claims Racism Happened On ABC News Set

He also claims to have experienced covert racism during his time at ABC News. One incident involved a phone call from a manager reprimanding him for wearing jeans on air. According to Gibson, the executive told him, “You’re doing TV news now and not attending a rap concert. Never wear jeans again.” Later, he claims he discovered that the same manager, who has since been fired, once remarked in a meeting that Gibson was worth less than toilet paper.

“I was so naive … I had rose-colored glasses on. I didn’t think racism was happening. I didn’t see all the indications,” Gibson said.

He also believes he faced retaliation after helping launch a “Diversity Task Force” aimed at encouraging the network to hire more black employees in senior roles. Gibson claims that while he made 212 appearances on “Good Morning America” ​​in his first two years at ABC, that number dropped to just eight in the two years after the task force’s first meeting with management.

Kendis Gibson attempted suicide due to the toxic environment

Gibson became increasingly frustrated as producers passed on his pitches for “GMA,” and on October 12, 2018, Gibson said he reached his breaking point. After returning home from anchoring the nightly newscast, he mixed two Ambien with two glasses of Chardonnay and cried himself to sleep. Hours later, he awoke and resigned to end his life.

Gibson texted her then-partner a goodbye message, walked to the kitchen window and prepared to jump. But in an ironic twist, the combination of Ambien and alcohol caused him to lose his balance and fall backwards onto the kitchen floor, aborting his attempt.

He woke up to his best friend, Mike Woods, who had been alerted by his partner. Woods staged an intervention with close friends, including World News Now colleague Diane Macedo. Remarkably, Gibson returned to the anchor desk hours later and began therapy the next day. While medication helped him function, he struggled with the process, saying, “It felt more like it was suppressing and not treating it.”

Kendis Gibson joins MSNBC

After joining MSNBC, Gibson faced renewed emotional strain when his former ABC boss was ousted for racially insensitive remarks, including the infamous “toilet paper” comment, which left him devastated and questioning his self-esteem.

When ABC later offered a one-year contract extension with a $10,000 raise, he turned it down, calling it the “network sum” and deciding it wasn’t worth sacrificing his health for the demanding schedule.