Judge Approves $3M Settlement for Former Adult Film Star After Brain Injury at Malibu Rehab

Emily Willis, professionally known as Litzy Lara Banuelos, has received a $3 million court-approved settlement after suffering an anoxic brain injury at Summit Malibu rehabilitation facility in February 2024. Willis, now 27, was admitted to the facility seeking treatment for ketamine addiction. On February 4, 2024, she was discovered unresponsive in her room, weighing approximately 80 pounds. A nurse initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which paramedics continued for 30 to 40 minutes after arrival. The prolonged oxygen deprivation resulted in irreversible brain damage.

Willis is now permanently incapacitated and unable to move her body. According to court filings and her attorney, she occasionally opens her eyes or produces grunts but does not consistently respond to people around her. Her attorney, James A. Morris Jr., suggested she may have "locked-in syndrome," a condition where awareness may persist despite inability to move or communicate. Willis currently resides with her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper, in Utah, where she receives full-time care.

The lawsuit, filed in December 2024 by Willis and her mother, alleged that Summit Malibu failed to provide appropriate care, resulting in permanent physical and cognitive injuries. The plaintiffs' legal team described the incident as "a horrendous breakdown in clinical care." Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason approved the settlement on Willis's behalf, as she is unable to manage her own affairs. Judicial approval was necessary for the agreement to proceed.

Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, denied wrongdoing. In court filings, the facility argued that Willis repeatedly refused medical advice and prescribed medications, and rejected recommendations to seek urgent care or hospital treatment. The facility maintained that its staff lacked legal authority to force Willis to seek outside medical treatment and stated there was no evidence of negligence. The facility also noted that Willis was regularly monitored during her stay.

Attorney Morris acknowledged the case's complexity in court declarations, stating: "Having lived and breathed this case for nearly two years, I can state with confidence that Ms. Banuelos is significantly injured, but that this case was no slam dunk." He noted that no one knows exactly what caused Willis's medical crisis or whether the facility could have prevented her injuries given her condition upon admission as a ketamine-dependent patient. Some specialists theorized that a latent infection Willis may have contracted during her career in the adult film industry could have contributed to her health issues.

Before the settlement, Willis's attorneys reduced their requested legal fees from $1.2 million to $1 million. The case had been scheduled for trial on May 6, 2026, but the settlement made the trial unnecessary. Before her medical crisis, Willis had achieved recognition in the adult film industry, being named Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and winning the Adult Video News Female Performer of the Year award in 2021.