Adult star Emily Willis, 25, suffered severe brain damage and was left permanently disabled after cardiac arrest during ketamine addiction treatment at Summit Malibu.
Her family is now suing, alleging negligence, delayed emergency care, and caused oxygen deprivation, leaving her in a semi-conscious state.
At just 25 years old, Emily, whose real name is Litzy Lara Banuelos, remains semi-conscious after she suffered cardiac arrest at the treatment facility. Despite promises to monitor her closely, detailed in their intake contracts, staff at Summit Malibu allegedly watched her health decline over several days without transferring her to a hospital.
On February 4, 2024, when a nurse practitioner discovered her unconscious, it wasn’t clear how long she had been unattended. Upon finding Emily, the nurse immediately called emergency services, administered CPR and sought help from colleagues.
Paramedics continued CPR for 30 to 40 minutes until they restored a heartbeat, but by then, the extended lack of oxygen had caused brain damage, leaving her comatose.
The lawsuit, Cooper v. Malibu Treatment Centers and Summit Malibu (Case No. 24SMCV06328), was lodged on December 27, 2024, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life,” attorney James A. Morris Jr. from Morris Law Firm, representing Emily and her guardian Yesenia Lara Cooper, lashed out over the shocking clinical oversight.
“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.”
