Matt Gutman Hit with Bombshell Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
CBS Anchor Matt Gutman Faces Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Amid Ratings Success
The Big Picture
CBS News anchor Matt Gutman is in hot water. Just as his fill-in work on the CBS Evening News gave the struggling show its best ratings in months, a former colleague has filed a explosive lawsuit accusing him of sexual harassment.
Important Point: The lawsuit was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court by Samira Said, a former ABC News field producer. It names Gutman, ABC News, and parent company The Walt Disney Co. as defendants.
What Happened? The Two Main Allegations
The lawsuit describes two separate incidents that allegedly happened years ago while both worked at ABC News.
Incident 1: Rating a Woman’s Appearance Like a Game
- Gutman and Said were waiting in a public line during an assignment.
- Gutman allegedly started discussing and rating a female correspondent’s looks.
- He supposedly reduced her professional standing to a numerical score based on her physical attributes.
- Other male crew members joined in and tried to pressure Said to participate.
- Said refused, telling them the conversation was inappropriate.
Incident 2: A Sexualized Comment During a Work Disagreement
- Gutman and Said were covering a movie press event.
- They disagreed about whether to leave the work site.
- In front of several coworkers, Gutman allegedly made a sexualized insinuation about Said.
- The lawsuit quotes him suggesting she “must have an after-hours date in the city.”
- Said says this reduced her professional judgment to a sexual stereotype.
The Bigger Lawsuit: Wrongful Termination
These harassment claims are part of a larger lawsuit against ABC News. Here’s what else Said alleges:
| Claim | Details |
|---|---|
| Role | Field producer at ABC News for 4 years |
| Traumatic Assignment | Covered the 2022 Uvalde school shooting – interviewed child survivors |
| Mental Health Struggles | Requested short leave after Uvalde; supervisor denied it |
| Medical Leave | Psychiatrist eventually approved leave |
| Retaliation Allegation | Bureau chief kept sending assignment requests during her leave |
| LA Wildfires 2025 | Assigned to cover them; sent home after physical condition deteriorated |
| Foot Injury | Injured covering weather story; denied medical leave after company doctor evaluation |
| Firing | Wrongfully terminated in 2025 |
| Legal Basis | Claims ABC violated California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act by failing to accommodate her disability |
Important Point: Said is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
Who Is Matt Gutman?
- Age: 48
- ABC News tenure: 17 years, primarily reporting from Los Angeles
- Current role: Joined CBS News in January 2026
- Notable hire: First high-profile talent recruited by CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss (who took over in October 2025)
- Recent fill-in gig: Anchored CBS Evening News while Tony Dokoupil was on vacation
The Ratings Success (Before the Lawsuit)
Despite the legal trouble, Gutman’s fill-in work delivered a ratings win for CBS:
- Week of July 27: Averaged 4.1 million viewers
- Best weekly audience in 17 weeks
- First time topping 4 million viewers since late March
- Data from Nielsen ratings
A Strange Side Note: The Phone Scam
Just weeks before the lawsuit, Gutman publicly shared that he nearly fell for a sophisticated phone scam:
- Caller claimed to be from his bank’s “fraud protection” department
- Provided a name and badge ID
- Knew detailed personal banking information
- Gutman almost went to the bank and emptied his account
- Red flag: Caller told him not to tell bank employees what was happening
- That’s when Gutman realized it was a scam
Summary
- Matt Gutman, a CBS News anchor, is being sued for sexual harassment by former ABC colleague Samira Said.
- The lawsuit alleges two specific incidents of inappropriate sexual comments years ago.
- These claims are part of a broader wrongful termination suit against ABC News and Disney.
- Said says she was fired in 2025 after struggling with mental health following traumatic assignments (including Uvalde).
- The lawsuit comes just as Gutman’s fill-in anchoring gave CBS Evening News a ratings boost.
- Gutman joined CBS in January 2026 after 17 years at ABC, hired by new Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.
FAQ
1. Who is suing Matt Gutman?
Samira Said, a former ABC News field producer who worked there for four years. She filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday.
2. What exactly is Gutman accused of?
Two incidents: (1) Rating a female correspondent’s appearance with a numerical score while waiting in line, and (2) Making a sexualized comment about Said having an “after-hours date” during a work disagreement at a movie press event.
3. Is this just about Gutman?
No. The harassment claims are part of a larger wrongful termination lawsuit against ABC News and The Walt Disney Co. Said alleges she was fired in 2025 after dealing with mental health issues from covering traumatic stories like the Uvalde shooting, and that ABC failed to provide legally required accommodations.
4. What’s Gutman’s current job?
He’s a CBS News correspondent and anchor. He joined CBS in January 2026 after 17 years at ABC. Recently, he filled in for Tony Dokoupil on CBS Evening News and delivered the show’s best ratings in months.
5. Has Gutman responded to the lawsuit?
The article doesn’t mention any response from Gutman, ABC News, Disney, or CBS News as of the time of reporting.
This article is based on reporting from The New York Post and court filings. All allegations are claims made in a lawsuit and have not been proven in court.