A former adult film star who entered a rehabilitation facility hoping to overcome ketamine addiction has been awarded a $3 million settlement after a devastating medical emergency left her with permanent brain damage and unable to move or communicate.
Judge Approves Settlement for Incapacitated Star
Litzy Lara Banuelos, known professionally as Emily Willis, suffered an irreversible brain injury after her brain was deprived of oxygen while she was receiving treatment at Summit Malibu in 2024. A Los Angeles judge approved the settlement on her behalf after determining she is no longer capable of managing her own affairs.
Now 27, Willis remains profoundly incapacitated. According to court filings, she can no longer move her body and only occasionally opens her eyes or grunts, without consistently responding to those around her. Her attorney, James A. Morris Jr., told the Daily Star that she likely has “locked-in syndrome,” a condition where a person cannot communicate or move physically despite being mentally aware.
Details of the Legal Battle
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason approved the settlement, which resolves claims brought by Willis and her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper. Judicial approval was required because of Willis’s condition. The agreement was finalised after her legal team reduced their requested attorney fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.
Attorney Morris said the case was far from an easy 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,” Morris wrote in a court declaration. He noted that no one knows exactly what caused her medical crisis or whether Summit Malibu could have prevented her injuries, given her fragile condition when she entered treatment.
Allegations and Denials
The lawsuit accused Summit Malibu of failing to provide appropriate care, alleging Willis was left with permanent physical and cognitive injuries after suffering an anoxic brain injury. The rehabilitation centre denied any wrongdoing. In court filings, Summit Malibu argued that Willis repeatedly refused medical advice, declined prescribed medications, and rejected recommendations to attend an urgent care centre or hospital. The facility said its staff had no legal authority to force her to seek outside medical treatment, maintained there was no evidence employees acted negligently, and added that Willis was regularly monitored throughout her stay.
Cooper’s lawsuit alleged the centre’s negligence, abandonment, and recklessness directly led to her daughter’s irreversible brain injury and permanent incapacity.
Willis’s Career Before the Injury
Before leaving the adult film industry, Banuelos was one of its best-known performers. As Emily Willis, she was named Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and won multiple Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021.
