Emily Willis wins $3million as adult star still only ‘grunts’ after rehab horror
Ex-adult star Emily Willis has won a $3million payout after a judge approved the settlement. Willis was left permanently disabled after a crash in her health at a rehab centre in 2024
A former adult film star who entered rehab hoping to overcome ketamine addiction has been awarded a $3million settlement after a devastating medical emergency left her with permanent brain damage and unable to move or communicate.
Litzy Lara Banuelos, better known by her stage name Emily Willis, suffered an irreversible brain injury after her brain was deprived of oxygen while she was receiving treatment at Summit Malibu in 2024. A Los Angeles judge has now approved the settlement on Emily’s behalf after finding she is no longer capable of managing her own affairs.
Now 27, Emily remains profoundly incapacitated. According to court filings, she can no longer move her body and only occasionally opens her eyes or grunts, without consistently responding to those around her.
It comes after a series of Daily Star exclusives on Emily’s condition, with her attorney James A. Morris Jr. telling us she probably has “locked in syndrome” – essentially a condition where a person cannot communicate or move physically despite still being aware in a mental sense.
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason approved the settlement, which resolves claims brought by Emily and her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper. Judicial approval was required because of Banuelos’ condition, reports Independent.
The agreement was finalised after Emily’s legal team reduced their requested attorney fees from $1.2million to $1million.
Attorney James A. Morris Jr. said the case was far from an easy victory. “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,” Morris wrote in a court declaration.
He said no one knows exactly what caused Emily’s medical crisis or whether Summit Malibu could have prevented her injuries, given what he described as her fragile condition when she entered treatment.
The lawsuit accused Summit Malibu of failing to provide appropriate care, alleging Emily was left with permanent physical and cognitive injuries after suffering an anoxic brain injury. Summit Malibu denied any wrongdoing.
In court filings, the rehabilitation centre argued Emily repeatedly refused medical advice, declined prescribed medications and rejected recommendations to attend an urgent care centre or hospital.
The facility said its staff had no legal authority to force her to seek outside medical treatment, maintained there was no evidence employees acted negligently and added that Banuelos was regularly monitored throughout her stay.
Cooper’s lawsuit alleged the centre’s negligence, abandonment and recklessness directly led to her daughter’s irreversible brain injury and permanent incapacity.
Before leaving the adult film industry, Banuelos was one of its best-known performers. As Emily Willis, she was named Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and won multiple Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021.
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