Emily Willis’ family, formerly known as the adult film performer Litzy Lara Banuelos, has reportedly reached a $3 million settlement agreement over her anoxic brain injury suffered in Malibu’s rehabilitation facility, which left the former performer permanently paralyzed in 2024.
Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason signed off on the deal in favor of Willis since she cannot handle her affairs alone, as The Independent reports. Yesenia Lara Cooper, Willis’s mother, was one of the plaintiffs in the case.
The 25-year-old was discovered unconscious in her room at Summit Malibu on February 4, 2024. While she was not under the influence of any drugs, she weighed only 80 pounds when she experienced medical issues. The nurse attempted to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on her until the paramedics arrived and continued the procedure for another 30 to 40 minutes. As a result, her brain received insufficient oxygen.
As per the filings of Willis, “a horrendous breakdown in clinical care.”
Both Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, denied that any breach happened, Evri Magaci stated.
The lawsuit against Summit Malibu was filed in December 2024 and is set for trial on May 6, 2026. But the settlement made it unnecessary. Before receiving approval, Willis’s lawyers reduced their fees from $1.2 million to $1 million.
Currently, Willis lives with her mother in Utah and receives constant care.
Before her health issue, she gained popularity as Penthouse Pet of the Month in May 2019 and Adult Video News Female Performer of the Year in 2021.
