Former adult film star Emily Willis has been awarded a $3 million settlement after a Los Angeles judge approved an agreement related to the life-changing injuries she allegedly suffered while receiving treatment at a California rehab centre.
The payout comes nearly two years after Willis, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, went into cardiac arrest during her stay at Summit Malibu, leaving her with severe brain damage and permanent disabilities.
Highlights
- Former adult film performer Emily Willis was awarded a $3 million settlement after suffering severe brain injuries.
- Willis’ family alleged the rehab center failed to properly monitor her deteriorating condition.
- Although the legal case reached a settlement, Willis remains profoundly disabled and continues a slow recovery, according to her attorney.
While the settlement marks a major step in the legal battle, people close to Willis said no amount of money can undo what happened.
An adult star, Emily Willis, entered rehab hoping to overcome her ketamine addiction
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Before the medical emergency, Willis had stepped away from the adult entertainment industry and sought professional help for a severe ketamine addiction.
According to court documents, she checked into Summit Malibu on January 27, 2024, after reportedly using five to six grams of ketamine every day for about a year.
Her family said she was living with major depressive disorder, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), night terrors, and bladder problems linked to her addiction.
The lawsuit claimed Willis arrived at the facility underweight and needing close medical supervision.
However, her family alleged that instead of improving, her condition rapidly declined during her stay.
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Court filings stated that she developed dehydration, tremors, headaches, hot and cold chills, an increased heart rate, difficulty walking, vaginal pain, and became disoriented.
Staff notes reportedly described her as “frail and in pain.”
At one point, nurses were allegedly unable to measure her blood pressure because she was so dehydrated.
Although Willis reportedly agreed to go to a hospital on February 3, she later changed her mind.
Paramedics came to the rehab centre, checked her vital signs, and left without taking her to the hospital.
After Willis changed her mind about checking in at a rehab centre, she was found unconscious later
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Less than a day after paramedics visited the facility, Willis was found unconscious.
According to the lawsuit, nurses and paramedics performed CPR for 30 to 40 minutes before her heartbeat returned.
Her family claimed the prolonged lack of oxygen caused irreversible brain damage, leaving her with severe paralysis and long-term neurological injuries.
Doctors later believed she had developed locked-in syndrome, a rare neurological condition in which a person remains conscious but is almost completely unable to move or speak.
Patients can often communicate only through eye movements.
Her former boyfriend, Mike Majlak, later spoke publicly about her condition during an appearance on Steve-O’s Wild Ride podcast.
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"It's bad, actually. She was incredible,” he said.
He continued, "We had a really great friendship and relationship, but she had her own struggles, and she recently, while at rehab, fell into a coma, and she's been in a vegetative state."
Later updates from her family said Willis had emerged from the coma, but she remained profoundly disabled and dependent on full-time care.
According to her legal team, she is still bedridden, cannot consistently communicate, and can only make occasional sounds or limited movements.
Willis’ family also alleged that the rehab centre missed multiple warning signs
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In December 2024, Willis’ mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper, filed a lawsuit against Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centres.
The lawsuit alleged that the rehab centre failed to recognise how quickly Willis’ health was deteriorating and did not provide the level of medical care she needed.
Attorney James A. Morris Jr. said the case centred on what he described as a serious failure in patient care.
"Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life."
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He added, "No patient should ever be subjected to such a horrendous breakdown in clinical care. Her health was ignored until it was too late, and now her life is forever changed."
According to the complaint, Willis’ family believed the facility failed to provide a safe environment, failed to properly monitor her condition, failed to diagnose her worsening medical problems, and failed to provide appropriate nursing and medical care.
The lawsuit also accused the rehab centre of making promises that it could safely care for Willis while allegedly failing to deliver the treatment she required.
Her family further argued that these failures ultimately left her with permanent physical and mental disabilities.
Despite the family’s allegations, the rehab centre denied responsibility for what happened
While Willis’ family argued that her condition could have been prevented, Summit Malibu rejected those claims in court.
According to the rehab centre’s legal filings, Willis had refused to follow medical advice during her stay.
The facility claimed staff encouraged her to go to the hospital before she suffered cardiac arrest, but she chose not to.
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Court documents stated, "She refused to go to urgent care or the hospital voluntarily, despite being encouraged to do so."
The defendants also argued that Willis had declined to take recommended medications and denied that the facility had acted negligently.
Despite those arguments, the lawsuit continued for more than a year before both sides eventually reached a settlement.
The lawsuit filed by Willis’ mother argued that the rehab centre failed the adult star in several different ways
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Willis’ mother filed the lawsuit as her daughter’s legal guardian, arguing that the rehab centre failed her in several different ways.
The first claim alleged that Summit Malibu did not provide a safe environment or properly protect a vulnerable patient who depended on the facility for both medical and mental health care.
The second accused the centre of professional negligence, claiming staff failed to recognise how seriously Willis’ condition had deteriorated and did not provide appropriate medical or nursing care.
The third claim alleged that violations of California law directly contributed to the injuries Willis suffered, leaving her with lifelong physical disabilities, emotional distress, and enormous medical expenses.
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Finally, the lawsuit accused the rehab centre and its parent company of unfair and fraudulent business practices.
According to the complaint, the family was assured that Willis would receive the care she needed and would be safe at the facility.
The lawsuit claimed those promises were misleading because the centre allegedly failed to provide the level of care it advertised.
After months of court hearings, a judge approved a $3 million settlement
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A Santa Monica Superior Court judge approved a $3 million settlement on Willis’ behalf because her current condition prevents her from making legal decisions herself, per Independent.
Her attorneys also agreed to reduce their requested legal fees from $1.2 million to $1 million before the settlement received final approval.
James A. Morris Jr., the attorney representing Willis and her mother, said the agreement should not be viewed as an easy legal victory.
"Having lived and breathed this case for nearly two years, I can state with confidence that Ms Banuelos is significantly injured, but that this case was no slam dunk."
Despite the settlement ending one chapter of the legal battle, Willis remains profoundly disabled.
Recently, Morris Jr. said there had been gradual signs of improvement, per The Mirror US.
"Fortunately, Litzy is improving, although it is slow and arduous. Litzy is a fighter and is committed to returning to a functional lifestyle that will ease any burden on others to care for her,” he said.
“The settlement closes the, but it doesn’t undo the damage. Tragic from every angle,” wrote one user
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