The family of porn star Emily Willis has reached a $3 million settlement with the California rehab facility where she suffered catastrophic brain damage while undergoing treatment for ketamine addiction.
Willis’ mom and legal guardian, Yesenia Cooper, sued Malibu Lighthouse Treatment in 2024 after claiming her daughter was left permanently disabled and in a vegetative state during her treatment at Summit Malibu earlier that year.
The former adult actress, 27, is expected to receive approximately $1.25 million after attorney’s fees and liens, while Cooper will continue to serve as her conservator, according to court documents seen by TMZ.
As part of the settlement, the defendants did not admit liability and continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Willis, real name Litzy Lara Banuelos, checked into the facility in January 2024 after her ketamine addiction reached such an extent that she was taking 5 to 6 grams a day, according to her family.
Shortly after checking in, her health rapidly declined, and she was left frail, disoriented, dehydrated, and unable to properly walk, eat, or care for herself, the lawsuit alleged.
The following month, Willis was found unconscious after suffering cardiac arrest at the facility, and paramedics performed CPR for 30 to 40 minutes before her heartbeat was restored.
Her family alleged that the prolonged lack of oxygen caused irreversible brain damage.
An early toxicology report found no drugs in Willis’ system at the time.
Neither Malibu Lighthouse Treatment nor Summit Malibu responded immediately to requests for comment.
Before entering rehab, Willis was a rising star in the adult industry, appearing in over 700 movies and winning Performer of the Year at the 2021 AVN Awards.
She was born in Argentina before moving to the US at 7 years old when her mother married an American man.
Willis grew up as part of the Mormon Church in St. George, Utah, before moving to San Diego after graduating high school a year earlier.
In 2023, she broke into mainstream acting when she appeared in the science fiction movie “Divinity.”
Read the full article here
