Former World News Now anchor Kendis Gibson has claimed a toxic work environment at ABC News contributed to his 2018 suicide attempt.
As reported by Page Six, Gibson opens up about his time at the news network in his new memoir, Five Trips: An Investigative Journey into Mental Health, Psychedelic Healing and Saving a Life, where he reveals how he experimented with illegal drugs to help battle through his mental health issues.
The Belizean-born journalist joined ABC News in 2014 as a correspondent and said he initially received a “heartwarming reception” from the Good Morning America hosts, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos. Speaking of Roberts’ on-air welcome, Gibson said it was like his “official anointing by the queen of the show.”
However, Gibson said that off-air, an unnamed Black correspondent warned him, “Welcome to Mickey’s plantation.” When Gibson asked the person to elaborate, he claims he was told, “You’ll find out.”
“The sense I got from them was that it was in reference to veiled racism, and there was some truth to what was behind it,” Gibson told Page Six.
Gibson started out at the network’s Washington, D.C. headquarters before moving to Los Angeles and later New York, where he eventually took over as anchor of World News Now from T.J. Holmes. But it was this gig where the mental toll started to show.
“Nineteen co-anchors during the course of my time there,” Gibson said, referring to the revolving door of on-air talent on World News Now. “There was an underlying depression already there,” he shared but noted how his time on the show exacerbated his issues.
Despite his pleas to move off the desk, Gibson claimed his bosses ignored his requests. He then started relying on Ambien to deal with insomnia and anxiety while “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 was not listening to me at all.”
He also alleged racism, recalling a time a boss called him to admonish him for wearing jeans on air. “‘You’re doing television news now, not attending a rap concert. Don’t ever wear jeans again,’” Gibson claimed he was told by this now-fired exec.
“I was so naïve… I had rose-colored glasses on. I didn’t think there was racism taking place. I didn’t see all the indications,” he added.
Gibson also believes the same exec took it out on him after he helped spearhead a Diversity Task Force to encourage the hiring of more Black employees in senior positions. He claimed his appearances on GMA dropped from 212 in his first two years down to eight after he created the task force.
On October 12, 2018, Gibson attempted to take his own life. He revealed how he took two Ambien with two glasses of Chardonnay and cried himself to sleep. When he woke up hours later, he texted his then-partner goodbye and prepared to jump from his kitchen window. However, the drugs in his system sent him tumbling back to the kitchen floor instead.
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He woke up in bed with his best friend, Mike Woods, watching over him. Woods and others, including World News Now‘s Diane Macedo, also staged an intervention. Gibson returned to the desk just hours after his suicide attempt. He also started seeing a therapist, who prescribed him depression and anxiety meds.
Gibson later left ABC News and landed at MSNBC, but his problems still persisted, and he started dabbling in psychedelics to help his mental health issues.
“I set out to write a book about my depression, and one thing led to another, and it just evolved into how different psychedelics helped me,” he said. “I’m not pushing anybody into psychedelics, but hopefully it opens up a conversation and encourages people to explore alternatives.”
Gibson returned to TV news earlier this year as an anchor at PIX11 News in New York City.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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