Matt Gutman, a CBS News anchor, is facing scrutiny following a significant sexual harassment lawsuit initiated by a former colleague from ABC News.
Having been one of the initial high-profile hires at CBS last year, Gutman has made various missteps during his 17 years with ABC News, with some being particularly noteworthy.
Early in his career, one of Gutman’s major mistakes involved inaccurately reporting that all four of Kobe Bryant’s children had died in a helicopter accident in January 2020. In reality, only Bryant and his 3-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed.
As a result of the error, ABC News suspended Gutman, noting that his initial coverage was “inaccurate and did not meet editorial standards.”
He later rectified his mistake and offered a public apology to the Bryant family.
About a year later, in February 2021, Gutman returned to a leadership position at ABC News. However, he faced suspension again for not adhering to COVID-19 protocols regarding hospital visits, as he had not sought the necessary approval.
In 2025, while covering a murder case involving Charlie Kirk, Gutman made headlines again, this time for describing a text message exchange between the suspected shooter and his girlfriend as “very emotional.”
His comments, which seemed to shed light on the suspect’s relationship dynamics, were met with significant backlash, leading him to acknowledge that his remarks fell flat.
He expressed regret for not clearly conveying the tragic nature of the events surrounding Kirk’s assassination.
Recently, Gutman has been accused by former ABC News producer Samira Said of making inappropriate sexual comments during two assignments between 2021 and 2025.
In a specific instance, Said alleged that Gutman began commenting on a female correspondent’s appearance while she waited at a pay phone. The complaint also indicated that Gutman and others evaluated the correspondent’s looks in a numerical manner, which Said found highly inappropriate.
Another incident involved Gutman making “sexual innuendos” about Said during a disagreement over whether to remain at a press event for a film release. This allegedly took place in front of several colleagues, which Said described as humiliating and disrespectful.
Gutman was hired by CBS News shortly after Bari Weiss assumed her role as the network’s chief in October 2025.
As of now, Gutman has not publicly addressed the allegations made in the lawsuit.
The California Post has reached out to both ABC and CBS for further comments.
