CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman is facing allegations of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by former ABC News field producer Samira Said.
Said named Gutman, ABC News and The Walt Disney Company in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on August 14, 2026.
The lawsuit alleges that Gutman made inappropriate sexual remarks during two workplace incidents several years ago, when both were working at ABC News.
The lawsuit has attracted significant attention because the allegations come months after Gutman left ABC News for CBS, where he became one of the network’s prominent recent hires.
His increased visibility, including appearances connected to CBS News programming, has placed additional focus on the legal dispute.
It is important to distinguish allegations from established facts. The claims against Gutman are contained in a civil lawsuit and have not been proven in court.
As of the latest reporting, Gutman and CBS News had not issued a substantive public response addressing the allegations.
Reports indicated that the defendants had not yet reviewed or responded in detail to the complaint.
Matt Gutman Sexual Harassment Lawsuit: What Happened?
The lawsuit was filed by Samira Said, who worked as a field producer for ABC News in Los Angeles from May 2021 until March 2025.
Said’s lawsuit is broader than the allegations involving Gutman.
She is also accusing ABC and Disney of wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and failing to provide reasonable accommodations related to her health.
Gutman is specifically mentioned in connection with two alleged workplace incidents that Said says contributed to a hostile work environment.
According to the complaint, the first involved a discussion about the appearance of a female correspondent.
The second allegedly occurred during a film press event, when Said and Gutman disagreed about whether they should leave the work site.
The allegations concern Gutman’s time at ABC News, not his current employment at CBS.
Why the Matt Gutman Lawsuit is Getting Attention?
The case has become a major media story because it involves a nationally recognized journalist who moved from ABC News to CBS News shortly before the allegations became public.
The lawsuit connects past workplace allegations at ABC with Gutman’s current role as a CBS News correspondent, although the complaint does not allege that the incidents occurred during his time at CBS.
The situation also comes as Gutman has received additional attention through his appearances on CBS News.
This has increased public interest in how the network responds as the legal process moves forward.
Matt Gutman Lawsuit Timeline
The allegations against Matt Gutman are part of a broader employment dispute involving former ABC News producer Samira Said.
The timeline below separates the major events described in the lawsuit from Gutman’s later move to CBS News, giving readers a clearer picture of how the case developed.
2021 — Samira Said Joins ABC News
Said’s complaint says she joined ABC News as a field producer in the Los Angeles bureau in May 2021.
She remained with the network for approximately four years, working on assignments that included major breaking-news stories.
Her employment history is important to the lawsuit because the complaint’s allegations concerning Gutman and her claims against ABC stem from her time working at the network.
Variety reports that Said remained an ABC News field producer until March 2025.
2022 — Said Covers the Uvalde School Shooting
One of the most significant assignments described in the lawsuit took place in 2022, when Said covered the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
According to the complaint, the assignment required her to interview child survivors who had witnessed their classmates being killed.
The lawsuit says Said subsequently experienced severe psychological symptoms.
It also states that she had contracted COVID-19 before the assignment and continued experiencing symptoms while in Uvalde.
This portion of the case is separate from the sexual-harassment allegations against Gutman, but it forms an important part of Said’s broader claims against ABC and Disney.
August 2022 to January 2023 — Medical Leave
According to Said’s complaint, her psychiatrist eventually approved medical leave, which lasted from August 2022 through January 2023.
The lawsuit says her psychiatrist repeatedly certified the medical necessity of the leave.
She later received clearance to return to work with accommodations intended to protect her from trauma-related triggers.
She alleges that ABC did not provide the accommodations she requested.
The complaint further alleges that David Herndon, then head of ABC’s Los Angeles bureau, indicated that she would have to return without restrictions and with full-week availability.
2023 — Said Alleges She Was Moved to Weekend Desk Shifts
Said’s lawsuit alleges that her treatment at ABC changed after she took medical leave and sought accommodations.
According to Variety’s report on the complaint, Said alleges that she faced adverse treatment and was moved to weekend desk shifts around March 2023, which she described as a demotion.
These broader employment claims form a central part of the lawsuit and remain separate from the allegations involving Gutman.
2025 — Samira Said Says ABC Fired Her
Said alleges that ABC ultimately terminated her employment on March 5, 2025.
The complaint says the events leading to her termination included additional disputes over her health and ability to take leave.
According to the lawsuit, Said was covering hazardous weather-related events shortly before her termination when heavy equipment struck her foot and caused a bone contusion.
She alleges that she reported the injury to her supervisors but was later denied medical leave after being evaluated by a Disney physician.
Said is seeking monetary damages as part of the lawsuit.
The Two Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Matt Gutman
The most closely watched part of the lawsuit concerns two incidents that Said attributes to Gutman.
Because these allegations have not been adjudicated, the details below are presented as claims made in the lawsuit.
Allegation 1: Discussion About a Female Correspondent’s Appearance
According to Said’s complaint, she was assigned to a team consisting of Gutman and two other male crew members.
The lawsuit alleges that while they were waiting in a public queue during an assignment, Gutman started a discussion about a female correspondent’s appearance.
Said alleges that Gutman and the other crew members rated the correspondent’s physical appearance and assigned a numerical score based on her physical attributes.
The complaint says the men then asked Said to share her opinion.
According to the lawsuit, she refused and told them that the conversation was inappropriate.
Said’s lawsuit describes the incident as part of a workplace environment in which a female journalist’s professional standing was allegedly reduced to her physical appearance.
Allegation 2: Comment During a Film Press Event
The second allegation involves a film-related press event.
Said’s complaint says she and Gutman disagreed about whether the team should leave the work site.
According to the lawsuit, Gutman responded in front of several coworkers with a sexualized insinuation that Said had an after-hours date in the city and that this was the reason she did not want to relocate.
The complaint describes the alleged remark as demeaning and says it reduced Said’s professional judgment to a sexualized stereotype.
These are the two specific incidents involving Gutman described in the lawsuit.
What Else Does Samira Said’s Lawsuit Allege?
The Matt Gutman sexual harassment allegations are only one part of the larger case.
Said is also suing ABC News and Disney over claims involving her employment and treatment after taking medical leave.
Her complaint alleges discrimination based on gender or sex, ancestry and/or disability, as well as hostile work environment harassment, retaliation and failure to provide reasonable accommodation.
The lawsuit also alleges wrongful termination, breach of an alleged employment agreement and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
This distinction matters because the lawsuit is not simply a sexual harassment case against Matt Gutman.
It is a broader wrongful-termination and workplace lawsuit in which Gutman is one of the named defendants.
What Has Matt Gutman Said About the Lawsuit?
As of August 15, 2026, there was no substantive public response from Gutman addressing the allegations in the complaint.
CBS News and Gutman declined to comment when approached by media outlets, with reports indicating they had not yet reviewed the lawsuit.
ABC and Disney had likewise not provided a substantive response at the time of initial reporting.
That could change as the case develops.
A formal response from Gutman, his attorneys, CBS, ABC or Disney could provide additional context or disputes regarding the allegations.
Until then, it would be inappropriate to characterize the accusations as established conduct.
What is Samira Said Seeking?
Said is seeking damages from the defendants.
According to the lawsuit, her claims include requests for compensatory and punitive damages, along with attorneys’ fees.
Variety reports that the complaint seeks unspecified monetary damages and includes claims involving discrimination, hostile work environment, retaliation, failure to accommodate, wrongful termination and emotional distress.
The amount, if any, that Said ultimately receives could depend on future court proceedings, settlement negotiations or a judgment.
Has Matt Gutman Been Found Guilty of Sexual Harassment?
No.
The lawsuit represents allegations made by Said, the plaintiff. Filing a civil lawsuit does not by itself establish that the allegations are true.
At this stage, there has been no reported court finding determining that Gutman committed sexual harassment.
That distinction is especially important in a case involving a prominent journalist whose current job places him in front of a national television audience.
The legal process will determine how the allegations are contested and whether the claims ultimately result in a settlement, dismissal, judgment or another outcome.
What Happens Next in the Matt Gutman Lawsuit?
The next stage will likely involve the defendants responding to Said’s complaint and the court determining how the case proceeds.
Potential developments could include:
- A formal response from Gutman’s legal team
- Responses from ABC News and Disney
- Motions challenging the complaint
- Court hearings
- Discovery and depositions
- Additional evidence or filings
- Settlement discussions
- A possible trial if the case is not resolved beforehand
None of those outcomes should be assumed at this stage.
For now, the key development is that the lawsuit has been filed, making the allegations part of a public court case.
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Final Take
The lawsuit against Matt Gutman is part of a much larger legal dispute involving his former employer, ABC News, and its parent company, Disney.
Former ABC field producer Samira Said alleges that Gutman made inappropriate sexual remarks during two workplace incidents.
She also accuses ABC and Disney of failing to accommodate her health needs and wrongfully terminating her employment in 2025.
Gutman left ABC for CBS News in January 2026 and now serves as a chief correspondent for the network.
According to current reports, Gutman has not publicly addressed the allegations. CBS has also not issued a substantive response to the lawsuit.
The court has not established the claims as facts, and the case remains in its early stages, with further filings expected.
Future developments could provide more details about the allegations and legal dispute.
AnchorInsider will distinguish confirmed court developments from allegations.
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