It has been more than a year since 30-year-old American actor Mike Heslin passed away from cardiac arrest during a dinner with friends. Recently, some heartbreaking new details have surfaced regarding the incident, and the actor’s husband says it never should have happened.

Heslin was an actor and writer best known for Lioness and The Holiday Proposal Plan. On June 25, 2024, the 30-year-old collapsed while dining with his friends at Javier’s, a high-end Mexican restaurant inside the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. He was later pronounced dead on July 2, 2025, from what his husband Scotty Dynamo called an ‘unexpected cardiac event’.

More than a year after the unfortunate incident, reports now state that Dynamo has filed a ‘wrongful death’ complaint in Nevada’s Clark County District Court, accusing Aria and Javier’s employees of standing by and not taking adequate action while Heslin was in obvious medical distress.

Scotty Dynamo files a complaint against the restaurant staff for the wrongful death of Mike Heslin

According to information obtained by PEOPLE, Scotty’s complaint, filed September 18, 2025, alleges that the employees of Aria and Javier, a high-end Mexican restaurant, did not take any ‘immediate lifesaving action’ when the actor collapsed in the middle of his dinner. 

The filing further claims that the employees present at the scene failed to perform CPR on Heslin, nor did they use an automated external defibrillator (AED). In addition, the staff allegedly stopped and ‘forcefully interfered’ with a bystander who had jumped in to help the actor by attempting chest compressions. The lawsuit reads:

“Upon information and belief, Defendants either failed to keep a stock and inventory of emergency response equipment, including, but not limited to, an automated external defibrillator (AED), or failed to train their staff on where the AEDs were stored.”

The lawsuit labelled Mike Heslin’s death as an ‘avoidable tragedy’ that could have been easily prevented had the staff taken immediate action. In the complaint, Dynamo and Heslin’s estate slammed the employees of the elite restaurant for being ‘individually and cumulatively’ responsible for the actor’s unexpected death. The complaint reads:

“Defendant’s failures, individually and cumulatively, proximately caused or substantially contributed to Mike’s preventable death. Mike’s death was an avoidable tragedy.”

Heslin’s friends were threatened with arrest when they tried to help him

Dynamo, a professional musician, is convinced that Mike’s death was the result of negligence and a lack of prompt action. The suit adds that even Heslin’s friends, some of whom had had the incident on videotape, had immediately cleared the table and called for help. However, they were threatened with arrest or trespassing if they continued to intervene. One employee even allegedly demanded that the video footage be deleted.

Now, the musician and Heslin’s estate are suing the restaurant for wrongful death, citing ‘gross negligence’, loss of consortium, and other claims. As reported by PEOPLE, they seek over USD 15,000 in general and special damages, funeral expenses, additional loss of consortium damages exceeding USD 15,000, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, court costs, statutory interest, and any further relief deemed appropriate by the court.

Mike Heslin was planning to start a family with Scotty Dynamo

Heslin was only 30 when the unexpected cardiac episode cut his life short, leaving Hollywood stunned. Scotty Dynamo confirmed his death back then with an emotional Instagram post. In the post, dated July 5, 2024, the grieving husband mentioned that only a week before his passing, Mike and Scotty were discussing baby names for their future kids.

Mike and Dynamo exchanged vows on November 11, 2023, and just months later, the actor passed away with unfulfilled dreams of becoming a father. Dynamo wrote in the heartbreaking post:

“You always told me that you felt like you were meant to be a dad, and I couldn’t agree more. You would be the world’s most perfect father. If I ever become a dad, I am going to name my son after you and hope that I manage to raise him to become at least half the man you are.”

Who was Mike Heslin?

Mike Heslin was a rising talent who received significant praise for playing ‘Polo’ in Special Ops: Lioness alongside Zoe Saldaña and Nicole Kidman. He also starred in Lifetime’s holiday film The Holiday Proposal Plan, appeared in Younger and 7 Deadly Sins, and created the digital series The Influencers.

Meanwhile, MGM Resorts International, which operates Aria, has denied all the allegations made in the lawsuit, stating in a statement that the claims are not supported by the facts. Regardless, Dynamo insists that the actor was in perfect health, and even the doctors couldn’t explain the death.

Mike Heslin’s sudden death continues to haunt loved ones, as his husband fights for justice. With a wrongful death lawsuit underway, the case has raised questions about accountability and responsibility when it comes to medical emergencies.

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