The family of adult film performer Emily Willis has reached a $3 million settlement with the California rehabilitation center where she allegedly suffered severe brain damage.
Willis's mother and legal guardian, Yesenia Cooper, filed a lawsuit in 2024 against Malibu Lighthouse Treatment, then known as Summit Malibu, claiming her daughter was left permanently disabled and in a vegetative state during her treatment for ketamine addiction earlier that year. According to court documents, Willis, whose legal name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, is expected to receive approximately $1.25 million after attorney fees and liens, with Cooper continuing as her conservator.
The defendants in the settlement did not admit liability and continued to deny any wrongdoing. Willis, 27, checked into the facility in January 2024, with her family stating her ketamine addiction had escalated to a daily intake of 5 to 6 grams. Shortly after her admission, her health reportedly declined rapidly, leaving her frail, disoriented, dehydrated, and unable to perform basic self-care functions.
The lawsuit further alleged that Willis was found unconscious the following month after suffering cardiac arrest. Paramedics reportedly performed CPR for 30 to 40 minutes before her heartbeat was restored. Her family contends that the prolonged lack of oxygen resulted in irreversible brain damage. An initial toxicology report indicated no drugs were present in Willis's system at the time of the incident.
Prior to her treatment, Willis was a prominent figure in the adult entertainment industry, appearing in over 700 films and earning Performer of the Year at the 2021 AVN Awards. She also made a foray into mainstream acting with an appearance in the 2023 science fiction film "Divinity." Willis, who was born in Argentina, moved to the U.S. at age 7 and was raised in the Mormon Church in St. George, Utah, before relocating to San Diego after high school.