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Hallmark actor Mike Heslin tragically died during his 35th birthday trip to Las Vegas, and now, his husband, musician Scotty Dynamo, is suing the restaurant where the incident occurred, claiming staff prevented lifesaving care.
According to a lawsuit filed on September 18 and obtained by Daily Mail, Heslin was dining at Javier's inside the Aria Hotel when he collapsed from an unexpected cardiac emergency. The suit alleges Heslin showed "obvious signs of a medical emergency," but restaurant employees failed to respond and even interfered when a fellow diner attempted CPR.
Dynamo claims a woman who tried to perform chest compressions was "forcefully removed" by staff, halting her efforts. Friends of the late Lioness actor also alleged that staffers never retrieved the automated external defibrillator (AED) on-site and instead threatened bystanders with arrest if they attempted to help. The lawsuit further states that Heslin's friends were "forcefully removed" from the premises and pressured to delete any videos they had taken of the incident.
Dynamo accuses the Aria Hotel and Javier's of wrongful death, negligence, gross negligence, and negligent hiring, training, and supervision. He is seeking damages exceeding $30,000, as well as funeral expenses and punitive damages. "These claims are not aligned with the facts, and we will respond through the legal process," MGM Resorts International, which owns the Aria Hotel, said in a statement Monday, firmly denying Dynamo's allegations.
Heslin, who appeared in Paramount+'s Lioness, Lifetime's The Holiday Proposal Plan, and Amazon's The Influencers, was remembered by Dynamo in a heartbreaking Instagram post in July 2024. Dynamo revealed that Heslin, who was "young and in perfect health," died after a sudden cardiac arrest.
"When I felt you take your last breath, my heart shattered into a million pieces," Dynamo wrote. "If I had the power to trade places with you, I would do it in an instant."
The lawsuit paints a harrowing picture of alleged inaction and obstruction, claiming Heslin's death was "a direct and proximate result" of the defendants' actions. As legal proceedings unfold, questions remain about whether critical minutes were lost, and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.
