Emily Willis, the former adult film star, is now “permanently disabled” due to her treatment for a “ketamine addiction”
The legal action targets Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, alleging “abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices”.
The lawsuit reveals that Emily, 25, is in a semi-conscious state after suffering severe brain damage following a cardiac arrest at the Summit Malibu treatment center. Despite promises to closely monitor the actress, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, the suit claims that staff observed Emily’s rapidly declining health over several days but failed to send her to a hospital for advanced medical care.
The lawsuit further states that on February 4, 2024, a nurse practitioner found her unconscious. Although it’s unclear how long she had been in this state before being discovered, the nurse dialed 911, initiated CPR, and called for additional help.
The responding paramedics reportedly performed CPR for between 30 and 40 minutes before obtaining a heartbeat, but by then, the prolonged lack of oxygen to her brain had left Emily comatose. The Cooper v.
Malibu Treatment Centers and Summit Malibu (Case No. 24SMCV06328) lawsuit was filed on December 27, 2024, in the Los Angeles County Superior Court
The claim is heartbreaking: “Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life,” expressed attorney James A. Morris Jr.
from the Morris Law Firm, representing Emily and her mother and guardian, Yesenia Lara Cooper. He added, “No patient should ever be subjected to such a horrendous breakdown in clinical care. Her health was ignored until it was too late, and now her life is forever changed.”
According to the lawsuit, Emily was battling a ketamine addiction and checked into the picturesque rehab facility overlooking the Pacific Ocean on January 27, 2024.
She allegedly used five to six grams per day for a year and suffered from bladder problems and night terrors. Previously diagnosed with severe mental health conditions, she was on anti-depression and anxiety medication.
Despite testing clean during her stint in rehab and her weight being registered at 100lbs contrary to reports of 80lbs, Emily’s health allegedly continued to decline. Described as “disheveled, frail, disoriented” with a “nervous” mood and “poor” insight and behavior in the legal documents, the suit further notes her diminishing physical condition, highlighting instances of pain and discomfort that ultimately portrayed a grim picture of neglect and deterioration.
Morris expressed outrage, stating: “Eventually she grew so dehydrated that a nurse could not measure her blood pressure. By this time her acute medical distress had been recorded and yet they left the decision to go to an urgent care up to a patient who was suffering incredible pain and could not care for her own well-being. There is no excuse for their failure to obtain medical and psychological care.”
He continued, detailing the tragic aftermath of the cardiac arrest that occurred 26 hours later, which left Emily in a vegetative state. According to the lawsuit, she has since regained consciousness and can track things with her eyes but remains unable to move or speak, confined to a care home in Utah.
Morris added: “We hope this lawsuit will spur real change in how treatment centers handle critical cases. Too many patients who should be receiving life-saving interventions are being lost to negligence.”
The legal action targets Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment.
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