Kendis Gibson, a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, worked as an ABC anchor for shows such as "World News Now" and "America This Morning" from 2014 to 2019. What was his dream job quickly turned into a nightmare, as stress and workplace racism pushed him to a mental state that almost led him to take his own life.
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Gibson talks about his struggles with the ABC work culture, health issues, and illegal drugs in his newest book "Five Trips: An Investigative Journey into Mental Health, Psychedelic Healing and Saving a Life." Talking to Page Six, Gibson revealed that, as soon as he joined ABC News, a black correspondent welcomed him to what he called "Mickey's plantation." At the same time, ABC anchor powerhouses such as Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan welcomed him with open arms.
"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 the outlet. A year after joining the network, Gibson replaced T.J. Holmes at the "World News Now" anchor desk, but he quickly learned that the position had a grim track record.
"Nineteen co-anchors during the course of my time there," Gibson said. "There was an underlying depression already there." And he was about to experience that same sentiment himself.
Toxic Workplace
His position at the anchor desk began taxing his mental health, with his bosses ingorning many Gibson's requests for a break. He started taking medication for insomnia and anxiety. He was too overworked to perform at his best capacity as he was at the time.
Unfortunately, being overworked was tragically coupled with workplace racism. He recalled that one of his bosses reprimanded him for wearing jeans. According to him, the boss told him: "You're doing television news now, not attending a rap concert. Don't ever wear jeans again."
"I was so naïve... I had rose-colored glasses on," Gibson said, sharing that he didn't see the racism or any "indications." One of those indications was the belief that executives didn't take his suggestion of hiring more black employees nicely, punishing him instead.
Moreover, his appearances in "Good Morning America" declined rapidly, despite him pitching several exclusive stories that might have worked at the time. All of this combined took a toll on him and almost ended up with him taking his own life on October 12, 2018.
Fed up with the mistreatment and racism, he drank and took Ambien, and decided to jump to his death from his kitchen window. He, however, fell backward, unconscious by the mix of alcohol and drugs. Some of his coworkers and friends staged an intervention, and Kendis Gibson went back to work, just hours after his suicide attempt. He then started seeing a therapist, although he didn't like it.
Healing
Eventually, Gibson decided to not renew his contract with ABC and went to MSNBC. However, the racism scandal that became public at ABC took a toll on him, once again. He found out that one of his former bosses referred to him as "toilet paper", leading him to have a breakdown on his bathroom floor.
"I went into such a dark place on that bathroom floor," he said. "It was such a tough moment for me. It was clear that I wasn't fully healed." He then started a psychedelic journey to help him recover from his depression. While he does not intend to push anyone to consume psychedelics, he hopes "it opens up a conversation and encourages people to explore alternatives."
Nowadays, Kendis Gibson works as an anchor at PIX11 News, feeling better than ever. "I'm in a different space," he said. "It's the first time I've been anywhere where I'm not looking for the next job and I'm comfortable in my skin."
