Former ABC News producer Samira Said has initiated legal action against CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, alleging that she experienced harassment based on sex and gender during her employment. The lawsuit, lodged in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Gutman of making inappropriate, sexualised comments while they were both working at ABC News.
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Said’s lawsuit asserts that her employment as a field producer in ABC’s Los Angeles bureau between May 2021 and March 2025 exposed her to a persistent hostile work environment. The suit identifies Gutman as her immediate supervisor and claims his behaviour, along with that of her male colleagues, contributed significantly to this toxic atmosphere.
In the filing, which was accessed by sources, Said recounts two troubling incidents attributed to Gutman. The first involved Gutman allegedly initiating a discussion about a female correspondent’s appearance while the two were part of a male-dominated team. Said contends that during this exchange, Gutman rated the correspondent’s looks and reduced her professional worth to a numerical score based on her physical attributes. Said expressed her discomfort as other men joined in the discussion, further objectifying the woman in question.
The second incident, according to the lawsuit, took place during a disagreement between Said and Gutman regarding whether their team should leave a work site during a press event. Gutman reportedly made a sexual innuendo insinuating that Said’s reluctance to change locations was due to having an after-hours date. This remark, Said claims, demeaned her and reinforced harmful stereotypes about women’s professional judgment.
The allegations against Gutman are included in a larger complaint in which Said asserts that she faced discrimination and retaliation from ABC News and its parent company, Disney. Said alleges that her requests for medical leave were repeatedly denied, despite experiencing serious health issues that required psychiatric treatment. In 2021, she began exhibiting symptoms of depression and sought to reduce her workload, but alleges management required her to take on challenging assignments regardless of her mental state.
One particularly troubling assignment arose after she covered the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in May 2022. Reportedly, after witnessing the aftermath and interviewing affected children, her mental health deteriorated, prompting her to seek time off for recovery. Although her initial request for leave was denied, she ultimately received approval starting in August 2022. However, even during her leave, she claims colleagues continued to contact her with work-related tasks, contributing to her ongoing stress.
Said’s legal filing goes on to state that when she was cleared to return to work, her requests for necessary accommodations were ignored. Furthermore, she was soon reassigned to hazardous assignments, including coverage of the Los Angeles wildfires, despite her previous health issues. Following a workplace injury stemming from heavy equipment striking her foot, she alleges her physical condition worsened.
On March 5, 2025, Said asserts that she was called for a routine check-in meeting, only to be informed of her termination from ABC News. The lawsuit demands compensatory and punitive damages, the specifics of which are not articulated, although it states that the sum sought exceeds £27,000. Said’s attorney did not provide immediate comments when contacted regarding the lawsuit.
As of now, neither Gutman nor CBS News has publicly responded to the allegations outlined in the complaint. The case brings to light the broader issues of workplace harassment and discrimination that persist within media and other industries.
As this story develops, there is much anticipation regarding the impact of Said’s claims and the potential ramifications for Gutman and the companies implicated in the lawsuit. The situation highlights ongoing conversations about power dynamics and the treatment of women in the workplace, sparking further discussion on the means by which organisations address and manage such allegations.