Allegations of Sexual Comments by CBS News Correspondent Matt Gutman

Former ABC News field producer Samira Syed has accused Matt Gutman, the chief correspondent for CBS News, of making sexual remarks towards her during their time together at ABC. This accusation comes from a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Friday.

Syed was a field producer at ABC News’ Los Angeles bureau from 2021 to 2025. In her complaint, which names Gutman, ABC, and the Walt Disney Company, she claims that Gutman fostered a hostile work environment during his time there. Gutman left ABC in January to join CBS.

The lawsuit alleges that during her assignments, Gutman evaluated the looks of female correspondents. For instance, it states that while the team was waiting in line for an assignment, he began discussing a female correspondent’s appearance, suggesting a way to rate her professional worth based on her physical features.

Additionally, the complaint mentions an incident where a male crew member tried to pressure Syed into an inappropriate discussion, which she refused.

Another event cited in the complaint took place during a press day for a film release, where Syed and Gutman had a disagreement about leaving the scene. Gutman reportedly made suggestive comments to her, including a remark about going on a date in the city after theirs duties.

These statements, according to the suit, were made in the presence of others and led to Syed being viewed through a lens of sexual stereotyping, detracting from her professional credibility.

The complaint also reveals that ABC sent Syed to cover a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, while she was still experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. After returning, she faced severe mental distress, prompting her psychiatrist to advise her to take leave. However, the network allegedly denied her accommodations, insisting she return without them or resign. Syed was subsequently terminated in March 2025, and she is now seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. CBS, notably, is not mentioned as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Gutman, who joined CBS in January, has recently gained attention for achieving high ratings while filling in on CBS Evening News.

Prior to these allegations, Gutman had made controversial remarks about text messages between an alleged murderer and his transgender roommate while at ABC, a commentary for which he later apologized, but without addressing the content of those texts.