Former ABC News Anchor Exposes Network Years After Suicide Attempt

A former anchor at ABC News who nearly took his own life recently revealed that a “toxic” atmosphere inside the mainstream news outlet contributed to his suicide attempt.

Kendis Gibson, who went on hiatus in October 2018 after attempting to kill himself with a combination of alcohol and prescription medicine, writes in a forthcoming memoir that a pervasive atmosphere of bullying and racially-charged comments left deep scars on his psyche during his nearly five years with ABC. A copy of “Five Trips: An Investigative Journey into Mental Health, Psychedelic Healing and Saving a Life” obtained by Page Six expounds on those sentiments while chronicling Gibson’s experimenting with illegal drugs in a bid to combat his depression. Five years of living in altered states and enduring hazing and other belittling criticisms at ABC contributed to depression, panic attacks and suicidal ideation, he writes.

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In his memoir, Gibson explains that his descent into madness did not begin on his first day in 2014 when he announced he had been hired to his “dream job” as a news correspondent for “Good Morning America.” He added that Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan and George Stephanopoulos, among the network’s biggest names, gave him a “heartwarming reception” during his onboarding. Roberts singled him out on the air, welcoming him as “the newest member of the ‘Good Morning America’ family,” Gibson writes.

Those bright moments didn’t last once the cameras turned off, however. One unnamed producer warned Gibson, “Welcome to Mickey’s plantation,” a reference to Disney’s overbearing ownership of the news network. When Gibson asked what they meant, the person replied cryptically, “You’ll find out.” Speaking with Page Six, Gibson revealed, “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.”

Shortly after arriving, he writes, Gibson took an overnight role with “World News Tonight,” anchoring the nightly program that has launched the career of luminaries like David Muir but often goes ignored by network leadership. The 52-year-old journalist admitted that “underlying depression” was exacerbated by the grueling coast-to-coast travel and that 19 co-anchors left the show during his time there. During his final two years, network honchos rebuffed his repeated requests to move off the desk, citing the effects on his mental health.

Only the use of Ambien, a powerful sleep medication, allowed Gibson to survive during that time, he writes. Unable to decline assignments, he was “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 alleged. Racism within the network was apparently prevalent to Gibson. After dressing down for work one day, Gibson claims one of his bosses admonished him with so-called racial undertones. “You’re doing television news now, not attending a rap concert. Don’t ever wear jeans again,” the person allegedly said. Gibson said the since-fired exec allegedly claimed during one meeting that Gibson was worth less than a roll of toilet paper.

“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 alleges. Gibson writes he believes he was being retaliated against for spearheading a diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative within ABC News.

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