The family of former adult film star Emily Willis has filed a lawsuit that is now facing a ‘motion to strike’ as it progresses to a crucial stage.
Willis, legally known as Litzy Lara Banuelos, and her family have initiated legal action against the rehabilitation facility where she was admitted. A judicial hearing in March is set to determine if the lawsuit will proceed.
The 25-year-old entered Summit Malibu rehab center on January 27, 2024, to address a ‘ketamine addiction’ she was battling.
According to her family, Willis was free from any illegal substances upon her admission to the rehab center and remained so throughout her stay.
However, approximately one week after her admission, on February 4, she reportedly experienced a significant medical emergency.
On February 4, 2024, a nurse practitioner at the facility discovered Willis ‘unconscious’, though the exact duration of her condition remains unknown.
The nurse immediately contacted emergency services and began performing CPR. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and worked to revive Willis.
After 30 to 40 minutes, medical personnel managed to re-establish Willis’s heartbeat. The lawsuit alleges she sustained ‘irreversible brain damage’, resulting in ‘permanent disability’.
Willis and her family have filed a lawsuit against the facility for ‘personal injury and torts – Elder/Dependant Adult Abuse’, accusing the center of ‘abuse of a dependent adult, professional negligence, negligence, and fraudulent business practices’, allegations which the facility denies.
In June of the previous year, a judge mandated that Willis’s mother, representing the family, provide additional evidence to support their claims within 30 days.
A hearing concerning this requirement is scheduled for March 6.
The case is set for another hearing, labeled as ‘final status’, on April 24 at the Santa Monica Courthouse.
Subsequently, a jury trial to examine Willis’s case is slated to begin on May 5, as per related court docket entries.