ABC News has suspended one of its correspondents over inaccurate reporting on the death of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Matt Gutman, the chief national correspondent for the network mistakenly reported on live television that all four of Bryant’s daughters were on the helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine people on board.
In another broadcast, Gutman corrected the error that the only members of the Bryant family who died in the crash were Kobe and his 13-year old daughter, Gianna.
Gutman later apologized for the error on Twitter, but that wasn’t enough to stop his suspension.
According to E! News, the national correspondent for ABC News was suspended for the gross mistake on Wednesday.
“Reporting the facts accurately is the cornerstone of our journalism,” the network said in a statement to E! News. “As he acknowledged on Sunday, Matt Gutman’s initial reporting was not accurate and failed to meet our editorial standards.”
In a statement provided to E! News, Gutman again apologized to the Bryant family for “any additional anguish” his report caused.
“We are in the business of holding people accountable,” he said. “And I hold myself accountable for a terrible mistake, which I deeply regret.”
