Ex-ABC News Anchor Kendis Gibson Alleges Racism, Toxic Culture Drove Him To 2018 Suicide Attempt

In his new memoir, former "World News Now" anchor Kendis Gibson paints a troubling picture of the workplace culture at ABC News, describing an environment allegedly marred by hazing, 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 using illegal drugs to address mental health struggles, including depression, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts. He asserts these challenges were exacerbated during his time at ABC.

Kendis Gibson joined ABC News in 2014 as a correspondent, calling it his “dream job.”

Gibson recalls a warm on-air welcome 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 privately warned him 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 hinted at veiled racism, adding, “There was some truth to what was behind it.”

Gibson joined ABC News in 2014, starting in Washington, D.C., before moving to Los Angeles and eventually New York, where he took over the World News Now overnight anchor role from T.J. Holmes. According to Page Six, he 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 already there,” he said his mental health significantly declined during his final two years on the show. Unlike other anchors who transitioned to new roles, Gibson claimed that network executives ignored his repeated requests to step away from the overnight desk, despite the toll it was taking on his well-being.

Gibson alleges that the pressures of his role became so overwhelming he began relying on Ambien to manage insomnia and anxiety. Despite his struggles, he says he found it difficult to decline 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 was not listening to me at all.”

He also claims to have experienced covert racism during his time at ABC News. One incident involved a phone call from an executive reprimanding him for wearing jeans on-air. According to Gibson, the exec told him, “You’re doing television news now, not attending a rap concert. Don’t ever wear jeans again.” Later, he alleges he discovered that the same executive, who has since been fired, once remarked in a meeting that Gibson was worth less than 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,” Gibson said.

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

Gibson grew increasingly frustrated as producers passed over his pitches for "GMA," and on October 12, 2018, Gibson said he reached his breaking point. After returning home from anchoring the overnight newscast, he mixed two Ambien with two glasses of Chardonnay and cried himself to sleep. Hours later, he woke up, resigned to ending his life.

Gibson texted his then-partner a goodbye message, walked to the kitchen window, and prepared to jump. However, in an ironic twist, the combination of Ambien and alcohol caused him to lose balance and fall backward onto the kitchen floor, interrupting 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 didn’t treat it.”

After joining MSNBC, Gibson faced a renewed emotional toll 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-worth.

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