CBS News anchor Matt Gutman sued after allegedly making ‘sexualized’ remarks and rating a female correspondent’s appearance
CBS News anchor Matt Gutman is the subject of a lawsuit alleging he made “sexualized” comments and rated a female correspondent’s appearance while at ABC News.
Samira Said, a former ABC field producer, filed the lawsuit on August 14 in Los Angeles. The suit names Gutman, ABC News and The Walt Disney Co. Said alleges Gutman made inappropriate remarks during two separate assignments involving her.
Gutman allegedly discussed a female correspondent’s looks
The lawsuit states that during one assignment, while waiting in line with Gutman and other male crew members, Gutman “initiated a discussion rating a female correspondent’s appearance and reducing her professional standing to a numerical score based on her physical attributes.”
The filing states that the other men participated and encouraged Said to join the conversation. She declined and informed them the discussion was inappropriate (per The Sun).
Remark allegedly made during a movie assignment
Said described another incident during coverage of a movie release when she and Gutman disagreed about leaving the work location. During this disagreement, Gutman allegedly made a sexualized comment about her in front of male colleagues.
The lawsuit claims Gutman “insinuated Said must have an after-hours date in the city.” Said contends the remark “reduced her professional judgement to a sexualized stereotype.”
The lawsuit primarily challenges Said’s termination
These allegations are part of a broader wrongful termination case Said filed regarding her 2025 departure from ABC. She claims she was dismissed while experiencing work-related mental health challenges. Said seeks compensatory and punitive damages, as well as legal fees.
Gutman worked at ABC News for 17 years before joining CBS in January. He recently filled in for CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil during Dokoupil’s vacation.
Law firm called Said’s decision to speak out courageous
In a recent statement to People, Shegerian & Associates, the firm representing Said, noted that the circumstances surrounding her ABC termination “constitute clear violations of the law, with profound and lasting consequences for her both personally and professionally.”
The firm added, “Ms. Said’s decision to come forward reflects remarkable courage, and we hope her actions will inspire others who have faced similar treatment to do the same… Meaningful change in the workplace can only occur when employees are empowered to speak out against injustice.”