CBS News Star Matt Gutman Accused Of Sexual Harassment In New Lawsuit

A former ABC News field producer has filed a lawsuit against CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, alleging sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment during their time working together at ABC News. The suit, filed in Los Angeles on Friday, names Gutman, ABC News, and The Walt Disney Company as defendants. Said, whose full name is Samira Said, worked as a field producer in ABC News's Los Angeles bureau from May 2021 until her termination in March 2025. According to the filing, Gutman left ABC News in January to join CBS News as chief correspondent. The lawsuit outlines two specific incidents involving Gutman. During one assignment, Said alleges she was placed on an all-male team that included Gutman and two other male crew members. While waiting in a public queue, Gutman reportedly initiated a discussion about rating a female correspondent’s appearance and reducing her professional standing to a numerical score based on her physical attributes. Said claims the other male crew members attempted to involve her in the conversation, but she declined and found the exchange inappropriate. Another incident occurred during a press day for a film release, where Said and Gutman had a disagreement about whether the team should leave the site. Gutman allegedly made a sexualized insinuation suggesting that Said “must have an after-hours date in the city.” This remark, according to the lawsuit, was made audibly to others and reduced Said’s professional judgment to a sexualized stereotype. The lawsuit also includes allegations related to Said’s health. It states that in May 2022, Said was assigned to cover the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, despite still experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Afterward, she developed severe psychological symptoms and requested a short leave, which was denied. Said was granted medical leave from August 2022 through January 2023, but her bureau chief allegedly continued assigning her tasks. When her psychiatrist cleared her to return in January 2023 with certain accommodations, ABC News allegedly refused to provide them, giving her an ultimatum to either return without accommodations or resign. Additionally, Said claims she was struck by heavy equipment while covering severe weather in 2025, resulting in a bone contusion. She reported the injury, but a Disney physician concluded it did not necessitate leave. ABC News terminated her employment in March 2025, shortly after this incident. Said is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorney’s fees. The case has not yet gone to trial, and Gutman has not publicly commented on the allegations. Gutman joined CBS News on January 5, following 17 years at ABC News, where he served as chief national correspondent. His move to CBS coincided with the hiring of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, who took over the division in October 2025. Gutman recently filled in for anchor Tony Dokoupil on CBS Evening News, leading to a significant increase in viewership. During the week of July 27, the program averaged 4.1 million viewers, marking its best performance in 17 weeks and the first time it exceeded 4 million viewers since late March, according to Nielsen data. Earlier in his career at ABC News, Gutman faced controversy when he described text messages exchanged between accused killer Charlie Kirk and his transgender roommate as “very touching.” He later issued an apology, although it did not specifically address his initial characterization of the messages. Representatives for ABC News and Disney have not responded to inquiries regarding the lawsuit, and CBS News has not yet commented on the allegations. The legal proceedings will likely bring further clarity to the nature of the claims and the potential implications for Gutman’s career at CBS News.