A new memoir by former “World News Now” anchor Kendis Gibson details a work culture at ABC News marked by alleged harassment, bullying and racism – which he says 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 journey experimenting with illegal drugs to combat mental health issues such as depression, panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. Claims were made while working strengthened at ABC.

In 2014, Gibson started his dream job as a correspondent at ABC News – he said he received a “heartwarming reception” from the “Good Morning America” ​​group: Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan and George Stephanopoulos, the network’s top talent .

Roberts welcomed him on air as “the newest member of the ‘Good Morning America’ family,” he writes in the book.

Gibson described the moment as his “official anointing by the queen of the show,” adding, “She couldn’t have been nicer and more genuine in front of and behind the camera.”

But outside the broadcast, an unnamed black correspondent for the Disney-owned network warned: “Welcome to Mickey’s Plantation.” When Gibson asked for more information, he claimed he was told: “You’ll find out.”

Although the other correspondent was ironic, Gibson told Page Six, “They were under the impression that it was veiled racism and that there was some truth to it.”

Gibson was originally hired in 2014 at the network’s Washington, D.C. bureau.

Within a year, he moved to the West Coast bureau in Los Angeles and then ended up in New York, where he took over as anchor of “World News Now” overnight from TJ Holmes.

The challenging late-night gig — often ignored by network bosses — is something of a rite of passage for on-air talent vying for top positions on flagship shows like “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America.”

The demanding job launched the careers of David Muir, Holmes and JuJu Chang at ABC.

But the post is also known for repeatedly calling for people to leave for a variety of reasons, with health issues high on the list, Gibson says. “Nineteen co-hosts over the course of my time there,” he told us.

Gibson admits: “There was already a depression” when he accepted the gig.

But he claims things have gotten worse over the past two years of hosting the show. He claims that unlike other presenters, supervisors ignored his requests to step away from the lectern despite the impact it was having on his mental health.

He claims it became so overwhelming that he started relying on Ambien to cope with insomnia and anxiety.

Since he was still unable to say no to assignments, he spent several years trying to “achieve peak performance… on a nighttime show (and) during the day.” It was just a lot and the station didn’t listen to me at all,” he claimed.

In addition, he claims that he has dealt with covert racism – such as when a boss called him to berate him for wearing jeans on the show. Gibson claims the executive told him, “You’re making TV news now and not going to a rap concert. Don’t ever wear jeans again.” (He claims he later found out that the now-fired manager had implied during a meeting that he was worth less than toilet paper.)

“I was so naive… I had rose-colored glasses on. I don’t believe racism exists. I didn’t see all the signs,” he claims.

Gibson believes the manager also retaliated against him after he helped lead a “diversity task force” to encourage management to hire more Black employees in leadership positions.

He claims his appearances on “GMA” dropped from 212 hits in the first two years before the task force was formed to eight, two years after the first meeting with management.

The host became even more confused when producers relayed exclusives he presented for “GMA,” including rare behind-the-scenes glimpses with Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and then-rising Colombian superstar Maluma, complete with an interview with Ricky Martin, he claims.

Although he was popular with late-night viewers: “If you’re not on ‘GMA,’ you’re not making a living.” (It feels like) there’s something wrong with you. It messed with my psyche,” he said.

On October 12, 2018, Gibson reached his breaking point.

After returning home from anchoring the nightly newscast, he shot down two Ambiens with two glasses of Chardonnay and cried himself to sleep. He woke up hours later after his then-partner left for work and resigned himself to killing himself.

Gibson texted his former partner goodbye, approached the window in his kitchen and prepared to jump.

Ironically, the Ambien and alcohol he had previously consumed worked to numb himself, causing him to fall backwards onto the kitchen floor.

When he woke up, his best friend Mike Woods – who his partner had previously texted – was looking over him.

Woods carried him to bed and hours later staged an intervention with the anchor’s closest friends, including his “World News Now” colleague Diane Macedo.

Gibson says he returned to the anchor desk just hours after the suicide attempt – and also began seeing a therapist the next morning, who prescribed medication for depression and anxiety.

“I didn’t like the therapy. I had a love-hate relationship with SSRIs (antidepressants). It allowed me to function a little bit, but it felt more like it was suppressing and not being treated,” he told us.

With only a few months left on his contract, ABC offered Gibson a one-year extension to continue anchoring overnight, along with a $10,000 raise, which he said was an insult to network TV dollars be.

He didn’t accept it. He described the money as a “networking picnic” and “didn’t think it would be worth my time and my health to sacrifice another year working on this difficult schedule,” he wrote.

He ended up at MSNBC. But about 18 months after his new gig, he found himself in the middle of a racial scandal at his old station.

His former boss was fired for allegedly making insensitive racist comments about talent at the network, including Sunny Hostin, Roberts and Gibson. At this point, he had begun microdosing mushrooms to treat his depression, but his old boss’s alleged “toilet paper” reference that appeared in the news caused him to take a closer look at his self-esteem.

The comment, which reduced him to “something people wipe their asses with,” left him screaming and crying on his bathroom floor.

Gibson no longer had suicidal thoughts, but “I went to such a dark place on the bathroom floor. It was such a hard moment for me. It was clear that I was not fully healed,” he told us.

After his time at MSNBC, he moved to Miami, where he worked as a news anchor for six months. “I had no plans to return to television. I didn’t know what else I could do,” he said.

He decided to fully dedicate himself to his psychedelic path to recovery. He spent the next two years learning from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) plant medicine experts while writing Five Trips.

“I set out to write a book about my depression, and one thing led to another, and it just evolved into different psychedelics helping me,” he says.

“I’m not urging anyone to take psychedelics, but I hope this starts a conversation and encourages people to look for alternatives,” he added.

Gibson returned to television news earlier this year as an anchor at PIX11 News in NYC.

“I’m in another room. It’s the first time I’ve been in a place where I’m not looking for the next job and I feel comfortable in my own skin,” he said.

The new anchor times in the afternoon are also a plus point.

“It’s not an early shift. I’m still not trying to test myself with these hours,” he concluded.

ABC declined to comment.