ABC News has suspended chief national correspondent Matt Gutman over a false statement he made on-air Sunday following the death of Kobe Bryant.
Gutman had erroneously reported that all four of Bryant’s daughters were on board the helicopter that crashed into the hills of Calabasas. Bryant and his 13 year-old daughter Gianna were among nine people killed in the accident. Bryant’s other three children were not on board the aircraft.
“Reporting the facts accurately is the cornerstone of our journalism,” ABC News said in a statement. “As he acknowledged on Sunday, Matt Gutman’s initial reporting was not accurate and failed to meet our editorial standards.”
It’s unknown how long Gutman will be suspended for the mistake, which he corrected Sunday evening, along with an apology on-air and on Twitter.
“We are in the business of holding people accountable. And I hold myself accountable for a terrible mistake, which I deeply regret,” Gutman said in a new statement Wednesday. “I want to personally apologize to the Bryant family for this wrenching loss and any additional anguish my report caused.”
The Los Angeles Times first reported Gutman’s suspension.