Former adult film star Emily Willis has secured a $3 million settlement in the lawsuit against the rehabilitation center where she suffered a cardiac arrest that left her with severe, permanent brain damage. A Los Angeles judge approved the settlement after determining that Willis, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, is no longer able to manage her own affairs.

Banuelos, 27, was found unconscious at Summit Malibu in February 2024. According to the lawsuit filed by her mother, Yesenia Cooper, a nurse performed CPR for about three minutes before paramedics arrived, and it took between 30 and 40 minutes to restore her pulse. Her attorney, James A. Morris Jr., said the prolonged loss of oxygen caused an anoxic brain injury that permanently changed her life.

The settlement resolves the lawsuit Cooper filed on her daughter’s behalf. Because of Banuelos’s condition, judicial approval was required, and Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason signed off on the agreement, according to the Independent. The case was finalized after Banuelos’s legal team agreed to reduce its requested attorney fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.

Court filings describe Banuelos as unable to move her body independently. She can only occasionally open her eyes and communicates through grunts instead of words. Morris has said she likely has locked-in syndrome, a rare condition in which a person remains mentally aware but is almost completely paralyzed. There is currently no cure, although some patients can communicate through eye-tracking technology.

We’ve recently seen several stories about sudden medical emergencies drawing widespread attention. One such case involved a TikToker who claimed a routine Chipotle meal nearly left her brother paralyzed, prompting a warning to others.

In a court declaration, Morris wrote, “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 added that no one knows exactly what triggered her medical crisis or whether Summit Malibu could have prevented it, considering how medically fragile she was when she entered treatment.

The lawsuit alleged that Summit Malibu failed to provide appropriate care, leaving Banuelos with permanent physical and cognitive injuries. The rehabilitation center denied any wrongdoing throughout the case. It argued that Banuelos repeatedly declined medical advice and refused prescribed medications during her stay. Summit Malibu also maintained that staff had no legal authority to force her into outside medical treatment and said there was no evidence its employees acted negligently, pointing to regular monitoring logs as part of its defense.

Cooper’s lawsuit claimed her daughter’s irreversible brain injury and lifelong disability were the direct result of negligence, abandonment, and recklessness by the facility.

Before the February 2024 medical emergency, Banuelos had built a successful career in the adult film industry under the name Emily Willis. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and later won multiple Adult Video News awards, including Female Performer of the Year in 2021, making the devastating turn in her life even more shocking.

Her lawsuit is also one of several high-profile negligence claims making headlines in recent months. Another recent case involves a Virginia woman seeking $1.5 million from Outback Steakhouse after alleging she was seriously injured by the restaurant’s mashed potatoes. 

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