Matt Gutman is named in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against ABC News and The Walt Disney Co. in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, August 14, 2026. Former ABC field producer Samira Said alleges that Gutman made sexualized remarks and participated in inappropriate workplace conversations while they worked together. The lawsuit also names former Los Angeles bureau chief David Herndon and alleges wrongful termination, discrimination, hostile work environment harassment, and retaliation. Said claims ABC fired her after she sought workplace accommodations connected to mental health treatment, including care for depression, and after her psychiatrist recommended reducing her workload. What Does the Lawsuit Allege? According to the complaint, Said was assigned to a male-only reporting team with Gutman and two crew members. The lawsuit alleges that the men rated a female correspondent’s appearance, discussed her body, and tried to pull Said into the conversation; Said says she rejected the discussion as inappropriate. Said also alleges that Gutman made a sexualized insinuation during a film-related press day after the pair disagreed about whether the team should leave the assignment. The complaint claims the remark was made in front of coworkers and framed Said’s professional decision as evidence of an imagined after-hours date. ABC News, CBS News, and the other named defendants had not commented on the litigation as of Deadline’s report. Gutman joined CBS News earlier in 2026 after a lengthy run at ABC.