LOS ANGELES, USA — Former adult film star Emily Willis has been left permanently disabled following treatment for a ketamine addiction at a high-end Malibu rehabilitation centre, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The legal action, lodged on December 27, 2024, alleges that the facility’s negligence resulted in catastrophic brain damage after the 25-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest while under its care.
The lawsuit targets Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, accusing them of “abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices.”
It further claims that despite visible signs of medical distress, staff at the luxury rehab centre failed to seek timely emergency care, leading to irreversible harm.
According to legal filings, Willis — whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos — entered Summit Malibu on January 27, 2024, to address a severe ketamine addiction.
The complaint states she had been using between five and six grams of the drug daily for a year and was experiencing related complications, including bladder issues and night terrors.
Her struggles were compounded by underlying mental health conditions, for which she was on medication.
However, her health reportedly deteriorated rapidly during her stay.
Despite registering a weight of 100 pounds upon admission and testing negative for substances, legal documents describe her as “dishevelled, frail, disoriented” with a “nervous” mood and “poor” insight.
Over the following days, her condition worsened.
“Eventually she grew so dehydrated that a nurse could not measure her blood pressure,” said attorney James A. Morris Jr., who is representing Willis and her mother, Yesenia Lara Cooper.
“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.”
The lawsuit states that despite clear warning signs, Willis was not hospitalised in time. On February 4, 2024, a nurse practitioner found her unconscious.
The suit does not specify how long she had been in that state before being discovered, but the nurse immediately called 911 and initiated CPR.
Paramedics arrived and performed CPR for between 30 and 40 minutes before successfully restoring a heartbeat. However, the prolonged oxygen deprivation resulted in severe brain damage, leaving Willis in a semi-conscious state.
She has been classified as “permanently disabled” and is now under her mother’s care.
“Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life,” Morris stated.
“Her health was ignored until it was too late, and now her life is forever changed.”
The lawsuit claims the facility failed in its duty to provide adequate medical supervision and support, particularly given Willis’s fragile condition.
It further alleges that Summit Malibu engaged in deceptive business practices, presenting itself as a premier rehabilitation centre while neglecting the well-being of its patients.
Summit Malibu and Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.
The case, Cooper v. Malibu Treatment Centers and Summit Malibu (Case No. 24SMCV06328), is currently pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
