Former adult film star left ‘frozen’ after rehab stay as family wins $3M settlement

A former adult film star who entered rehab seeking help for ketamine addiction will receive a $3 million settlement after a lawsuit alleged she was left permanently incapacitated following a medical emergency at a Malibu treatment center.

A Los Angeles judge approved the settlement on behalf of Litzy Lara Banuelos, known professionally as Emily Willis, who suffered irreversible brain damage after her brain was deprived of oxygen during her stay at Summit Malibu in 2024.

Banuelos, now 27, can no longer move her body and remains in what her attorney described as a profoundly incapacitated state. Court filings say she occasionally opens her eyes or grunts but does not consistently respond to people around her.

The settlement, approved by Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason, resolves claims brought by Banuelos and her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper. Judicial approval was required because Banuelos is unable to manage her own affairs.

The agreement came after Banuelos’ attorneys reduced their requested legal fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.

Attorney James A. Morris Jr. said the case was far from straightforward.

“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 said no one knows exactly what caused Banuelos’ medical crisis or whether Summit Malibu could have prevented her injuries, given what he described as her fragile condition when she entered treatment.

The lawsuit alleged Summit Malibu failed to provide appropriate care, leaving Banuelos with permanent physical and cognitive injuries after suffering an anoxic brain injury.

Summit Malibu denied wrongdoing.

In court filings, the rehabilitation center argued Banuelos repeatedly refused medical advice, declined prescribed medications and refused recommendations that she go to an urgent care center or hospital.

The facility maintained its staff lacked the legal authority to force her to seek outside medical treatment and argued there was no evidence its employees acted negligently. It also noted that Banuelos was regularly monitored during her stay.

Cooper’s lawsuit alleged the facility’s negligence, abandonment and recklessness directly led to her daughter’s irreversible brain injury and permanent incapacity.

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.