Melissa McCarthy scraps plan to receive Outfest Award due to actors' strike

Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone have scrapped plans to receive an Outfest Award due to the actors' strike.

The Oscar-nominated actress and her actor/filmmaker husband Ben have axed plans to accept a prestigious award at Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ film festival, due to the current strike action.

"We understand that Melissa and Ben are unable to join us for our closing night due to the strike," Outfest Executive Director Damien Navarro said in a statement. "We will miss them, as our closing night will be a wonderful celebration of our community."

The highly acclaimed Hollywood couple were set to receive the James Schamus Ally Award on Sunday during the closing night of the event, however, the pair cancelled the appearance at the last minute in support of the SAG-AFTRA walkout.

The James Schamus Ally Award, named after the screenwriter and co-founder/former CEO of Focus Features, recognises the pair's advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The festival has been impacted by the strike since its opening night on 13 July. Actress Amandla Stenberg, who stars in the Outfest film My Animal, was set to accept the festival's Platinum Maverick Award, however, she ultimately scrapped the plan in solidarity with the strike.

The festival, which was founded in 1982, is an event that showcases diverse LGBTQ+ stories and storytellers.