Former star Emily Willis won a $3 million payout after a judge approved the settlement. Willis was left permanently disabled after her health deteriorated in a rehabilitation center in 2024.
10:16, 17 Jul 2026Updated 11:23, July 17, 2026
Emily Willis’s family have won a lawsuit after the star was left permanently disabled after leaving rehab (Image: Getty Images)
A former adult film star who entered rehab in hopes of overcoming a ketamine addiction has been awarded $3 million in damages after a devastating medical emergency left her with permanent brain damage and the ability to move and communicate.
Litzy Lara Banuelos, better known by her stage name Emily Willis, suffered permanent brain injury after her brain was deprived of oxygen during treatment at the 2024 Malibu Summit. A Los Angeles judge has now approved the settlement on Emily’s behalf, finding that she is no longer capable of managing her own affairs.
Emily, now 27, remains deeply disabled. According to court records, she can no longer move her body and only occasionally opens her eyes or grunts, not constantly reacting to those around her.
Emily suffered permanent brain damage after her brain was deprived of oxygen (Image: Getty Images)
It comes after a series of Daily Star exclusives about Emily’s condition, with her lawyer James A. Morris Jr telling us she likely has “locked-in syndrome” – essentially a condition in which a person is unable to communicate or move physically, despite still being aware of themselves in a mental sense.
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason approved the settlement, which resolves claims by Emily and her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper. Judicial approval was required due to Banuelos’ condition, the Independent reported.
The agreement came after Emily’s legal team lowered its requested attorney fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.
A Los Angeles judge approved the settlement on Emily’s behalf (Image: instagram.com/emilywillisx3)
Defense attorney James A. Morris Jr. said the case was far from an easy victory. “Having lived and breathed this case for nearly two years, I can confidently say that Ms. Banuelos is seriously injured, but this case was not a sensation,” Morris wrote in a court filing.
He said no one knows for sure what caused Emily’s medical crisis or whether Malibu Summit could have prevented her injuries, given what he called her fragile condition when she arrived for treatment.
The lawsuit accuses Summit Malibu of failing to provide adequate care, alleging Emily suffered permanent physical and cognitive injuries after suffering an anoxic traumatic brain injury. Summit Malibu denies any wrongdoing.
She can no longer move her body and only occasionally opens her eyes or grunts (Image: Emily Willis/Instagram)
In court documents, the rehab center alleged that Emily repeatedly refused medical advice, refused prescribed medications and declined recommendations to visit an urgent care center or hospital.
The facility said its staff had no legal authority to force her to seek medical care outside the facility, said there was no evidence staff acted negligently and added that Banuelos was monitored regularly throughout her stay.
Cooper’s lawsuit alleged that the center’s negligence, neglect and recklessness directly resulted in her daughter’s permanent brain injury and permanent disability.
The facility said its staff had no legal authority to force her to seek medical attention (Image: Emily Willis/Instagram).
Before leaving the adult film industry, Banuelos was one of its most famous performers. As Emily Willis, she was named Penthouse Pet of the Month for May 2019 and has won several Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021.
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