Adult film star Emily Willis has received a $3 million legal settlement following a civil lawsuit filed after she sustained "irreversible brain damage" while undergoing treatment for ketamine addiction. Willis, now 27, was left "permanently disabled" after her stay at the Summit Malibu rehabilitation facility, according to a lawsuit filed by her mother and legal guardian, Yesenia Cooper.
Malibu Lighthouse Treatment, the operator of Summit Malibu, has not admitted to any liability or wrongdoing. Willis will receive approximately $1.25 million after attorney fees and liens, while her mother will continue as her conservator.
Willis checked into the facility on January 27, 2024, seeking treatment for a severe ketamine addiction. Court documents indicated she had been consuming "five to six grams daily" of the drug for a year, leading to side effects such as urinary incontinence and night terrors. Despite a history of depression, anxiety, and PTSD, drug tests upon admission and in the following days showed no presence of ketamine or other substances.
The lawsuit claims that Willis became increasingly disheveled, frail, and disoriented during her time at the facility. She allegedly struggled to walk, was barely eating or dressing, and experienced pain and physical distress. Her condition deteriorated to the point where a nurse practitioner found her unconscious on February 4, 2024. Paramedics performed CPR for approximately 30 to 40 minutes to restore her heartbeat. However, the prolonged lack of oxygen resulted in a comatose state.
Willis had been a prominent figure in the adult entertainment industry, starring in around 700 films before her 25th birthday and winning multiple AVN Awards, often referred to as the "Oscars of porn." She began her adult film career at age 18 after being recruited by a producer she met on Tinder. This producer was later identified as Ruben 'Dre' Garcia, who was sentenced in 2020 for his role in coercing women into appearing in sex videos for the website GirlsDoPorn.
Prior to her incapacitation, Willis had retired from adult films and was pursuing a career in mainstream acting. She appeared in the sci-fi film "Divinity" alongside Karrueche Tran and Bella Thorne. In interviews before entering rehab, she expressed excitement about her mainstream acting prospects and her own fashion line, stating her focus was solely on non-adult film projects.