(L/A)
Ex-adult star Emily Willis is "permanently disabled" after being treated for a "ketamine addiction" at a Malibu rehab centre which resulted in severe brain damage, according to a bombshell lawsuit.
The legal action is taken against Summit Malibu and its parent company Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, citing "abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices".
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. 24SMCV0632
, 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."
Having succumbed to ketamine addiction, Emily checked into the coastal rehab on January 27, 2024, the suit reveals. Consuming a whopping five to six grams daily for an entire year, she faced disturbing side effects which included bladder inflammation, urinary incontinence, and alarming night terrors.
Her past was marred by major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD, conditions for which she received anti-depression and anti-anxiety medication.
Contrary to rampant speculation, drug tests conducted upon admission disclosed that Emily hadn't been using ketamine or other substances, and her weight was actually a mere 100lbs, not the incorrectly reported 80lbs. Consistent clean test results over the subsequent days contrasted with her rapidly failing health, laid bare by the legal claim.
The lawsuit claims that Emily became "dishevelled, frail, disoriented" with a "nervous" mood and "poor" insight and behaviour, struggling even to walk. It details how she was barely eating, not showering or getting dressed, and suffered from aches, tremors, spasms, weakness, appeared to be in pain, and experienced vaginal pain.
Morris stated: "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."
Following a cardiac arrest 26 hours later, Emily was left in a vegetative state, according to the suit. She has reportedly regained consciousness, can track things with her eyes but remains unable to move or speak, and is now in a care home in Utah.
Morris further commented: "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."
Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment, have been named in the lawsuit.
Ex-adult star Emily Willis is "permanently disabled" after being treated for a "ketamine addiction" at a Malibu rehab centre which resulted in severe brain damage, according to a bombshell lawsuit.
The legal action is taken against Summit Malibu and its parent company Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, citing "abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence and fraudulent business practices".
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. 24SMCV0632
, 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."
Having succumbed to ketamine addiction, Emily checked into the coastal rehab on January 27, 2024, the suit reveals. Consuming a whopping five to six grams daily for an entire year, she faced disturbing side effects which included bladder inflammation, urinary incontinence, and alarming night terrors.
Her past was marred by major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD, conditions for which she received anti-depression and anti-anxiety medication.
Contrary to rampant speculation, drug tests conducted upon admission disclosed that Emily hadn't been using ketamine or other substances, and her weight was actually a mere 100lbs, not the incorrectly reported 80lbs. Consistent clean test results over the subsequent days contrasted with her rapidly failing health, laid bare by the legal claim.
The lawsuit claims that Emily became "dishevelled, frail, disoriented" with a "nervous" mood and "poor" insight and behaviour, struggling even to walk. It details how she was barely eating, not showering or getting dressed, and suffered from aches, tremors, spasms, weakness, appeared to be in pain, and experienced vaginal pain.
Morris stated: "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."
Following a cardiac arrest 26 hours later, Emily was left in a vegetative state, according to the suit. She has reportedly regained consciousness, can track things with her eyes but remains unable to move or speak, and is now in a care home in Utah.
Morris further commented: "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."
Summit Malibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment, have been named in the lawsuit.
