This is true. Although fusion into elements heavier than iron happens both during the last stages of a star's life and during the supernova itself, the last st

This is true. Although fusion into elements heavier than iron happens both during the last stages of a star's life and during the supernova itself, the last stages of the star's life last only a few hours anyway. At that point it really doesn't make too much sense to talk of a "star" since it's no longer in anything resembling equilibrium. It's more of an "event." Heavy elements fused deep in the star's core are likely to remain there during core collapse, and heavy elements fused in the shells or in the envelope during the explosion are likely to escape.