Former World Information Now anchor Kendis Gibson has claimed a poisonous work atmosphere at ABC Information contributed to his 2018 suicide try.
As reported by Web page Six, Gibson opens up about his time on the information community in his new memoir, 5 Journeys: An Investigative Journey into Psychological Well being, Psychedelic Therapeutic and Saving a Life, the place he reveals how he experimented with unlawful medication to assist battle by means of his psychological well being points.
The Belizean-born journalist joined ABC Information in 2014 as a correspondent and stated he initially obtained a “heartwarming reception” from the Good Morning America hosts, Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, and George Stephanopoulos. Talking of Roberts’ on-air welcome, Gibson stated it was like his “official anointing by the queen of the present.”
Nonetheless, Gibson stated that off-air, an unnamed Black correspondent warned him, “Welcome to Mickey’s plantation.” When Gibson requested the individual to elaborate, he claims he was instructed, “You’ll discover out.”
“The sense I received from them was that it was in reference to veiled racism, and there was some reality to what was behind it,” Gibson instructed Web page Six.
Gibson began out on the community’s Washington, D.C. headquarters earlier than transferring to Los Angeles and later New York, the place he ultimately took over as anchor of World Information Now from T.J. Holmes. But it surely was this gig the place the psychological toll began to indicate.
“Nineteen co-anchors throughout the course of my time there,” Gibson stated, referring to the revolving door of on-air expertise on World Information Now. “There was an underlying melancholy already there,” he shared however famous how his time on the present exacerbated his points.
Regardless of his pleas to maneuver off the desk, Gibson claimed his bosses ignored his requests. He then began counting on Ambien to take care of insomnia and nervousness whereas “attempting to carry out on the high of the sport… at an in a single day present [and] throughout the day. It was only a lot, and the community was not listening to me in any respect.”
He additionally alleged racism, recalling a time a boss referred to as him to admonish him for carrying denims on air. “‘You’re doing tv information now, not attending a rap live performance. Don’t ever put on denims once more,’” Gibson claimed he was instructed by this now-fired exec.
“I used to be so naïve… I had rose-colored glasses on. I didn’t suppose there was racism happening. I didn’t see all of the indications,” he added.
Gibson additionally believes the identical exec took it out on him after he helped spearhead a Variety Process Pressure to encourage the hiring of extra Black staff in senior positions. He claimed his appearances on GMA dropped from 212 in his first two years right down to eight after he created the duty drive.
On October 12, 2018, Gibson tried to take his personal life. He revealed how he took two Ambien with two glasses of Chardonnay and cried himself to sleep. When he awakened hours later, he texted his then-partner goodbye and ready to leap from his kitchen window. Nonetheless, the medication in his system despatched him tumbling again to the kitchen ground as an alternative.
He awakened in mattress together with his greatest pal, Mike Woods, watching over him. Woods and others, together with World Information Now‘s Diane Macedo, additionally staged an intervention. Gibson returned to the desk simply hours after his suicide try. He additionally began seeing a therapist, who prescribed him melancholy and nervousness meds.
Gibson later left ABC Information and landed at MSNBC, however his issues nonetheless persevered, and he began dabbling in psychedelics to assist his psychological well being points.
“I got down to write a e-book about my melancholy, and one factor led to a different, and it simply advanced into how totally different psychedelics helped me,” he stated. “I’m not pushing anyone into psychedelics, however hopefully it opens up a dialog and encourages folks to discover options.”
Gibson returned to TV information earlier this yr as an anchor at PIX11 Information in New York Metropolis.
If you happen to or anybody you recognize is having suicidal ideas, please contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or dial 988. If you happen to or a cherished one are in instant hazard, name 911.