Mike Heslin’s spouse files lawsuit alleging Las Vegas restaurant blocked CPR aid

Hallmark actor Mike Heslin’s death during a Las Vegas birthday trip has led to a wrongful death lawsuit alleging restaurant staff prevented lifesaving care.

The suit, filed by Heslin’s husband, musician Scotty Dynamo, claims staff at Javier’s at the Aria Hotel interfered when the 35-year-old experienced a medical emergency.

Court documents state that Heslin showed clear signs of distress, but staff allegedly failed to act and even stopped a nearby diner from performing CPR. Dynamo argued these actions contributed to what he described as an “avoidable tragedy.”

Friends of Heslin supported the claims, saying staff did not retrieve an available automated external defibrillator (AED) and instead removed them from the property during the emergency. They also alleged they were threatened with arrest and pressured to delete any recordings of the incident.

The lawsuit lists five counts of wrongful death, negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, and gross negligence. It seeks damages exceeding $30,000, funeral costs, and punitive damages. Dynamo asserted that Heslin’s death was “a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ acts and omissions.”

MGM Resorts International, which operates the Aria, rejected the allegations. In a statement, the company said, “These claims are not aligned with the facts, and we will respond through the legal process.”

Heslin, best known for his role in Lioness, died in July 2024 from what Dynamo described as an “unexpected cardiac arrest.”