Celebrity3 min(s) read
Published 11:21 17 Mar 2026 GMT
Adult star Emily Willis' lawsuit close to settlement after she was left ‘permanently paralyzed’
The family of adult star Emily Willis is reportedly close to reaching a settlement with the Malibu rehabilitation center where she was found unconscious, suffering a heart attack and "irreversible brain damage".
Willis, 27, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelo, was left "permanently disabled" after suffering a cardiac arrest while at a rehabilitation center in 2024.
She had checked into Summit Malibu seeking treatment for anorexia and weighing 100 pounds, with her lawyer, James A. Morris, Jr, clarifying that she had not sought help from the treatment center for ketamine use as she had stopped using the drug prior to entering the facility.
Willis was found unresponsive in the facility in February 2024, with a lawsuit brought by her mother, Yesenia Cooper, stating that a nurse had performed CPR on her for three minutes until paramedics arrived, and they were able to get a pulse after 30-40 minutes.
How long Willis had been unconscious before she was found was not stated, with Morris adding that Willis had suffered an anoxic brain injury, which led to her being left disabled and paralyzed due to oxygen deprivation.
According to reports, Willis had been experiencing hot and cold chills, tremors, increased heart rate, headaches, and difficulty walking before she was found unconscious in her room.
Cooper filed a lawsuit against Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, in December 2024, accusing them of "abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices."
According to court papers, Cooper's lawyers argued that Willis' "irreversible brain damage and permanent physical and mental incapacity, pain, suffering and emotional distress" was caused "as a direct and proximate result of (Summit Malibu’s) neglect, abandonment, recklessness and negligence in failing to provide care and treatment for Willis."
MyNewsLA.com reports that Cooper has reached a tentative settlement with Summit Malibu, and while the terms of the agreement haven't been shared, the outlet states that "Summit Malibu’s attorneys filed court papers on 24 February with Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young notifying him of a 'conditional' accord in the case brought by Yesenia Lara Cooper, along with the expectation a request for dismissal will be filed by 1 September."
It comes after Summit Malibu's lawyers claimed in previous court papers that Willis "had refused to follow medical recommendations and take her medications," claiming that staff had recommended Willis be taken to hospital, but claimed she'd declined to go.
They alleged: "She refused to go to urgent care or the hospital voluntarily, despite being encouraged to do so by (Summit Malibu)."
Willis's lawyer had shared an update on her condition last year, telling The Mirror US: "She remains bedridden due to her neurological injuries."
He confirmed that while Willis - who is being cared for by her mother in Utah - has been left unable to speak, she is able to make noises and can "move her body somewhat".
Morris further disclosed: "Trial is set to take place in Santa Monica on May 6, 2026. We have additional hearings in February."
Morris also previously told PornCrush: "She was in the danger zone the moment she walked through the doors.
"She needed very, very intense medical treatment. They didn’t diagnose that upon entry, nor did they monitor carefully enough how quickly she was digressing."