The facade of the Javier's restaurant in Aria Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada as seen on Sept. 24, 2025.

LAS VEGAS – The family of an actor filed a lawsuit alleging that workers at a Las Vegas mega-resort failed to act when he collapsed at a restaurant and later died in 2024, according to court filings provided to USA TODAY.

Michael Heslin’s estate claimed in a Clark County District Court filing that employees at the Aria Resort & Casino “stood by,” and failed to perform CPR or start an emergency response protocol as the incident occurred at the upscale Mexican restaurant Javier’s.

The complaint, filed Sept. 18, states that Heslin had been showing obvious signs of medical distress while eating at Javier's on June 25, 2024. It alleges that a woman attempted to begin CPR, but an employee “forcefully interfered” and stopped her, and that an AED device was never retrieved.

"These breaches were not isolated incidents of inaction but constituted a pattern of conductshowing disregard for the health and safety of a patron in peril," the complaint reads.

The lawsuit states that Heslin’s friends attempted to record the incident, but alleges that employees demanded that any videos be deleted.

"This was a systematic failure by the staff and management of ARIA, MGM International and Javier’s," Orlando De Castroverde, one of the lawyers representing the estate, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sept. 24. "Mike's death was a preventable tragedy."

The estate is suing on five counts, including wrongful death and gross negligence and is seeking general, punitive and special damages and other financial relief.

“These claims are not aligned with the facts, and we will respond through the legal process,” MGM Resorts International, the operator of Aria Resort & Casino, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

Who was Michael Heslin?

Heslin was known for his roles in “Lioness” and “The Holiday Proposal Plan,” as reported by People at the time of the 30-year-old’s death. IMDB lists credits for “The Influencers” and “Boy*Friend” on his profile.

Nicholas Wilson, Heslin’s husband also known as Scotty Dynamo, announced in a July 5, 2024 Instagram post that Heslin had died on July 2, 2024, “from an unexpected cardiac event after a week-long battle in the hospital.”

“Michael was brilliant, selfless, talented, and a real-life guardian angel,” Wilson wrote. “He was the first person everyone would call to share good news with, and he was the perfect person to call if they needed a shoulder to lean on or the best advice.”

This story has been updated to include new information and photos

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lioness' actor estate sues MGM Resorts for wrongful death after cardiac event, reports

Reporting by James Powel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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