After undergoing treatment for ketamine addiction, Emily Willis, adult film star, was said to have suffered irreversible brain damage, prompting her family to sue Summit Malibu and its parent firm, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers.
Court filings state that Willis, whose birth name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, was admitted to the clinic on January 27, 2024, suffering from an acute state of health weakened by anxiety, PTSD, bladder inflammation, and night terrors. Her mother and conservator, Yesenia Lara Cooper, contends that the rehab center provided inadequate medical care, resulting in a catastrophic decline in Willis’ condition.
At the time of admission, she was weighing just 100 pounds, yet the state court claims that no dietitian was consulted. She developed a UTI at the facility and was dehydrated and in extreme pain. Nonetheless, her family claims that she was continuously denied access to any medical personnel, despite the alarming symptoms.
Just over a week after admission, on February 4, 2024, a nurse discovered that Willis was unresponsive. Emergency personnel performed CPR for 30 to 40 minutes before restoring a faint heartbeat, but the extended loss of oxygen had already left her in a coma.
The suit alleges that staff members left Willis for long periods unattended and completely failed to follow appropriate medical procedure, resulting in her tragic fate. “Had the staff followed standard medical procedures, Emily would have had an opportunity to regain control of her life,” the suit states. “Her health was ignored till it was too late, and now her life is changed forever.”
One day after the collapse, Willis suffered a heart attack, which was subsequently determined to have led to her being diagnosed with locked-in syndrome—a rare neurological disorder which renders her completely paralyzed except for some limited eye movement. Now unable to communicate, she is being cared for at a medical facility in Utah.
The lawsuit charges the rehab center with negligence, elder abuse, and fraudulent business practices, arguing that, as a “dependent adult,” Willis was within an elevated standard of care as recognized in the law. The family seeks justice, alleging the facility’s failures gave rise to her irreversible physical and mental damage, emotional distress, and an entire loss of independence.
