The family of former adult film star Emily Willis has been awarded a $3 million payout by a Los Angeles County judge due to the alleged ‘irreversible brain damage’ she suffered.
The Court ruled in favor of approving a settlement of the lawsuit brought against a Malibu rehab clinic on behalf of Willis, who was left in a persistent vegetative state due to alleged negligence by clinic personnel.
The 27-year-old was the victim of a ‘horrendous breakdown in clinical care’ while attending the Summit Malibu rehab facility, a Lawsuit filed by her loved one, in December 2024 claimed.
Those closest to her reported that her ‘health was ignored until it was too late’, causing her life to change ‘forever’. After more than a year of count showdown an agreement has now finally been reached.
However, the lawyer representing her said the case ‘was no slam dunk’.
Willis was left permanently disabled after she suffered a serious cardiac arrest at the Summit Malibu rehab facility.
According to court documents, Willis’ health deteriorated during her stay and she allegedly experienced symptoms such as dehydration, infection, and severe physical distress that were not properly addressed by staff. She had sought help from the clinic to overcome her reliance upon ketamine, as she was consuming five to six grams a day.
On 4 February, 2024, Willis was found unconscious at the facility and it took 30 to 40 minutes of CPR before a pulse returned.
The prolonged lack of oxygen allegedly caused irreversible brain damage, leaving Willis with severe paralysis and long-term disability.
Following the incident, Yesenia Lara Cooper, Willis’ mother and legal guardian, filed a lawsuit against summit Maiibu and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, in December 2024
On February 24 of this year, lawyers for Summit Malibu notified Santa Monica Superior Court Judge Mark A. Young that a conditional settlement had been reached.
