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A former adult film star who entered rehab seeking help for a ketamine addiction will receive $3 million in damages after a lawsuit alleged she was left permanently disabled following a medical emergency at a Malibu treatment center.
A Los Angeles judge has approved a settlement on behalf of Litzy Lara Banuelos, professionally known as Emily Willis, who suffered permanent brain damage after her brain was deprived of oxygen during her stay at the 2024 Malibu Summit.
Banuelos, now 27, can no longer move her body and is in what her lawyer described as profoundly incapacitated. Court documents say she occasionally opens her eyes or grunts, but does not always respond to those around her.
Adult film actress Emily Willis poses at the Jules Jordan Video booth at the 2020 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on January 22, 2020. (Getty)
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 is required because Banuelos cannot manage his own affairs.
The agreement was reached after Banuelos’ lawyers reduced the requested legal fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.
Defense attorney James A. Morris Jr. said the case is far from simple.
Banuelos was known in the industry as Emily Willis. She was awarded Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and has received several Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021. (Getty)
“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 Banuelos’ 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 alleged that Malibu Summit failed to provide adequate care, causing Banuelos to suffer permanent physical and cognitive injuries after suffering an anoxic traumatic brain injury.
Lexington Steele, Emily Willis and Luna Star present an award at the 2023 Adult Video News Awards at Resorts World Las Vegas on January 7, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Getty)
Summit Malibu denies wrongdoing.
In court documents, the rehab center alleged that Banuelos repeatedly refused medical advice, refused prescribed medications and refused to recommend that she go to an urgent care center or hospital.
The facility argued that its employees had no legal authority to force her to seek medical care outside the facility and argued that there was no evidence that employees acted negligently. He also noted that Banuelos was monitored regularly during her stay.
Cooper’s lawsuit alleged that the facility’s negligence, neglect and recklessness directly resulted in her daughter’s permanent brain injury and permanent disability.
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.