News anchor Annalisa Klebers says she was bullied by bosses to point of psychotic break: ‘I almost lost my life’

She was the “sunshine” of her office — until she asked for equal pay.

A News12 anchor claims her simple claim for equity resulted in such harsh blowback from her network that she had a psychotic break and ended up on suicide watch.

Annalisa Klebers, an award-winning journalist who anchored the morning news for Altice USA-owned News12 stations in Connecticut and New Jersey, said the sudden change in her boss’ demeanor came after she asked about a new contract with better pay than the $71,000 she’d been getting.

What resulted, she claims, was months of being “gaslit” by supervisors, excluded from meetings, and having more and demeaning work piled on her — including fixing her co-anchor’s typos.

“What management did to me changed my life forever. I almost lost my life. My children came very close to almost losing their mother,” she told The Post. “I felt like my whole world was caving in.”

Klebers, a 42-year-old mother of three, was hired in April 2018.

Her supervisors praised her intelligence and work ethic, calling her the “sunshine of the newsroom,” according to a claim filed with the American Arbitration Association and obtained by The Post.

During the pandemic, she was frequently one of just two people in the building, responsible for everything from her own work to “making sure the cameras, lights, and teleprompter were working” and covering then-Gov. Cuomo’s daily news conferences, according to the claim.

The efforts earned her yet more praise and a $4,200 bonus.

But co-workers were getting double that amount, she learned. And when she voiced concerns to her managers, the sun began to set on her career at the station, Klebers contended in papers.

“I felt humiliated,” she said. “I was being alienated from the rest of the news team. Management began blaming technical difficulties on me that I had no control over.

“I did everything managers asked of me and more,” she added. “This all while my contract and pay raise were being held over my head. It felt like management wanted me to quit or react poorly to the things they were doing to me.”

She was cut out of a promotional advertisement featuring storm coverage she helmed — while a male colleague who called out that day was edited into the footage, she claimed.

Klebers put in a formal complaint but then ultimately decided to resign.

However, Altice refused to accept her departure, ostensibly because the company claimed it was required to investigate her complaint.

“It all sent me into a spiral,” she said. “It was too much.”

“On Friday, May 13, 2022, I became very ill,” Klebers said. “I had a psychotic break. I was suicidal. This all happened in front of my husband and children and even my sister.”

Her husband Erik said “she became almost catatonic, staring into space, moving around the house inexplicably.”

She kept trying to grab her car keys and heading to the garage, Erik Klebers said, which doctors later confirmed was her attempt at suicide.

She spent six days in the psych ward on suicide watch. She was later fired by Altice while out on disability.  

“Her career was completely derailed, such to the point that she does not see any avenue back to an anchor desk, not at News12 or any media, any newsroom anywhere,” said her attorney, Anthony Mango. “This was brought about by her just making in good faith, raising an issue for the equal pay. “It’s really rendered her disabled.”

Klebers wants the American Arbitration Association to award her the income she would have made as an anchor.

She chose to go public because “this cannot happen to another person, woman or man, that works in a corporate environment. It should be criminal.”

An Altice USA spokesperson said, “News 12 prides itself on providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can thrive and are compensated based on their skills, contributions, and merit; any gender discrimination claims are entirely baseless, and we will defend against them vigorously.”

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.