Former ABC News anchor exposes toxic work culture, racism, bullying leading to 2018 suicide attempt

A new memoir by former “World News Now” anchor Kendis Gibson sheds light on a workplace culture at ABC News filled with allegations of hazing, bullying, and racism, which he claims contributed to a suicide attempt.

In his book, Five Trips: An Investigative Journey into Mental Health, Psychedelic Healing and Saving a Life, Gibson recounts his nearly five-year journey experimenting with illegal drugs in an effort to combat mental health struggles, including depression, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts, which he asserts were worsened by his time at ABC.

Gibson began his dream job at ABC News in 2014, recalling the warm welcome he received from the “Good Morning America” team, including Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos, the network’s top talent.

Roberts greeted him on-air as “the newest member of the ‘Good Morning America’ family,” according to Gibson’s account in the book.

Gibson describes the moment as a kind of “official anointing by the queen of the show,” saying, “she couldn’t have been nicer and more genuine on and off camera.”

However, off-camera, an unnamed Black correspondent at the Disney-owned network allegedly warned him: “Welcome to Mickey’s plantation.” When Gibson asked for more clarification, he was supposedly told, “You’ll find out.”

Although the comment was made in a joking tone, Gibson told Page Six that he felt it reflected underlying racism, with some truth behind the statement.

Gibson was initially hired by ABC News in 2014 for the Washington, D.C., bureau.

Within a year, he transferred to the West Coast bureau in Los Angeles, and eventually moved to New York, where he took over the overnight anchor desk for World News Now from T.J. Holmes.

The overnight position, often overlooked by network executives, is viewed as a stepping stone for on-air talent aiming for prime positions on flagship shows like World News Tonight and Good Morning America.