Emily Willis Lawsuit: $3M Rehab Settlement and Dior Defamation Case

The Emily Willis lawsuit is a negligence case her mother filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Summit Malibu, the rehabilitation facility where the former adult film actress suffered a catastrophic anoxic brain injury in February 2024. In late April 2026, court papers revealed the parties had agreed to a conditional $3 million settlement, subject to judicial approval because Willis is incapacitated and cannot sign off herself.¹

What Happened at Summit Malibu

Willis, whose legal name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, checked into Summit Malibu on January 27, 2024, seeking treatment for ketamine addiction. According to the complaint later filed by her family, she had been using five to six grams of ketamine per day and also presented with bladder inflammation, night terrors, anxiety, and PTSD. She was underweight on admission and received no consultation with a dietitian.²

Over roughly a week, the suit says, her condition deteriorated. Physicians’ notes described intense pain, dehydration, and a urinary tract infection. The complaint alleged staff left her unattended for long stretches and ignored tremors, an elevated heart rate, and disorientation.³

An emergency call was reportedly made on February 3, 2024, but Willis was not taken to a hospital. About 26 hours later, on February 4, a nurse found her unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Staff performed CPR for roughly three minutes before paramedics arrived, and it took 30 to 40 minutes total to restore a heartbeat. The oxygen deprivation caused an anoxic brain injury. A second cardiac event followed roughly 26 hours after the first, and Willis fell into a coma that lasted until approximately May 2024.⁴ Toxicology showed no ketamine or other substances in her system at the time of the cardiac arrest.⁵

What the Lawsuit Alleges

On December 27, 2024, Willis’s mother and guardian, Yesenia Lara Cooper, sued Summit Malibu and its parent, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers LLC.⁵ The complaint pleaded abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, general negligence, and unlawful, unfair, or fraudulent business practices, and sought compensatory damages, restitution, and attorney fees.³

The core allegation is that the facility failed to provide safe conditions and appropriate medical care for a dependent adult, ignored her worsening health, and did not give her access to physicians. James A. Morris Jr., the attorney representing Willis and her mother, argued the center should have moved her to a hospital sooner. “They should’ve transferred her to a hospital earlier and let the doctors put a feeding tube in her and treat her properly while she was still coherent and speaking and walking,” Morris said. “Instead, they allowed her to have a say in her medical treatment, which is not what you do with somebody who is in severe health danger.”⁶

Summit Malibu’s Defense

Summit Malibu denied the allegations. In court filings, the facility argued that Willis refused to follow medical recommendations and declined her medications during her stay. Staff encouraged her to go to urgent care or a hospital, the defense said, but she refused, and the facility had no legal authority to force outside medical treatment on her against her will.⁷ The defense also pointed to the complaint itself as showing Willis was regularly monitored and seen by staff. Summit Malibu filed a motion to dismiss in late August 2025.⁶

The $3 Million Conditional Settlement

On February 24, 2026, attorneys for Summit Malibu told Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young that the parties had reached a conditional settlement. The case was placed in a “Stay – Conditional Settlement” status, with a dismissal request expected by September 1, 2026.⁷

Court papers filed in late April 2026 put the number at $3 million. Because Willis is incapacitated, a judge must approve the deal. Cooper asked Judge Susan Bryant-Deason to sign off at a hearing set for May 15, 2026.¹

In a sworn declaration supporting the settlement, Morris acknowledged the risk of taking the case further. “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 wrote. He pointed to “major uncertainties,” including the lack of clarity about what happened immediately before Willis stopped breathing and whether the facility could have prevented her injuries given what he called her fragile condition at admission.¹

The Separate Defamation Case Against Gianna Dior

A different Willis lawsuit sometimes gets folded into coverage of the rehab case but is unrelated. On October 12, 2021, Willis filed a $5 million defamation suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against fellow adult performers Gianna Dior (Emily Katherine Correro) and Adria Rae (Kiersten Vanbelkum), plus ten unnamed defendants. The suit alleged Dior insinuated on social media that Willis appeared in a 2021 video depicting women engaged in sexual acts with a dog. Willis denied involvement.⁸

The case stalled once Willis was incapacitated. Her attorney withdrew, and her mother never formally moved to be appointed guardian ad litem, so no one was legally authorized to represent Willis in court. On July 28, 2025, Judge Michael Small dismissed the case without prejudice after no representative appeared at a critical hearing.⁹ There was no ruling on the merits. The dismissal being without prejudice means the case could in theory be refiled, though that has been described as unlikely.¹⁰

Willis’s Condition Today

As of early 2026, Willis remains permanently disabled and lives in Utah under her mother’s care. She is bedridden and unable to speak, though her attorney has said she can make sounds and move her body to a limited degree. Her main form of communication is limited eye movement.⁴ In March 2026, Morris described her recovery as “improving, although be it slow and arduous.”¹¹

A GoFundMe organized by her brother, Michael, has raised more than $118,000 for medical bills, out-of-pocket treatment, and family travel.⁶ Morris said those donations are administered through a legal trust established in Utah, and the family continues to seek help with the cost of her ongoing care.¹²

1
Westside Current. $3M Settlement Sought in Emily Willis Rehab Case
2
E! Online. Adult Star Emily Willis Allegedly Left Permanently Disabled After Rehab Stint for Ketamine Addiction
3
New York Post. Porn Star Emily Willis Left Permanently Disabled After Malibu Rehab Stint for Ketamine Addiction
4
Yahoo Entertainment. Emily Willis Left Permanently Disabled
5
Yahoo News. Adult Film Star Permanently Disabled
6
AOL. Former Adult Star Emily Willis
7
Westside Current. Malibu Rehab Facility Moves to Settle Lawsuit Over Emily Willis Medical Crisis
8
New York Post. Porn Star Emily Willis Sues Over Alleged Dog Sex Tweets
9
AVN. Emily Willis Lawsuit Against Gianna Dior Tossed Out by L.A. Judge
10
Yahoo Entertainment. Emily Willis Defamation Lawsuit Against Gianna Dior Tossed Out by L.A. Judge
11
Daily Star. Emily Willis Health Update
12
The Mirror. Emily Willis Family Share How They Are Coping