Emily Willis' family is suing a rehabilitation centre after the former OnlyFans star suffered from a cardiac arrest, which left her without a heartbeat for more than 30 minutes.
Willis, 26, survived the brutal health incident that occurred after she was admitted to the Summit Malibu rehab clinic, to the west of Los Angeles, in the January of 2024. She moved in to the centre after struggling to manage an addiction to ketamine, with the adult film star consuming five to six grams of it a day.
But the impact to her health from what happened to her was devastating, with Willis now left suffering from locked-in syndrome whereby she can only move her eyes. Filing the lawsuit against the facility and its parent company, Malibu Lighthouse Treatment Centers, LLC, Willis' mother Yesenia Lara Cooper has explained four areas she thinks Willis was let down and needs answers over.
What does the Emily Willis lawsuit say?
Filing the lawsuit towards the end of December last year, Willis' mother Yesenia claims her daughter's condition got worse after being admitted to Summit Malibu. While at the facility, the lawsuit claims Willis suffered from dehydration; looking 'unkempt'; hot and cold chills; tremors; increased heart rate; headaches; feeling 'disorientated'; difficulty walking; and vaginal pain.
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Notes from staff at the centre described Willis as 'frail and in pain' on 1 February, just days after being admitted. The following day, nurses could not measure her blood pressure due to issues with dehydration.
After agreeing to go to hospital the following day on 3 February, Willis changed her mind. Instead, paramedics attended Summit Malibu where her vitals were measured. She was not taken to hospital.
The next day, Willis was found unconscious with paramedics doing CPR on her for more than 30 minutes before re-establishing a pulse. She had suffered a cardiac arrest, leaving her in a 'vegetative sate' and suffering from locked-in syndrome.
"Had the staff followed standard medical protocols, Emily would have had the opportunity to regain control of her life," Willis' family's attorney James A. Morris Jr said in a statement.
"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. 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."
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Reasons one and two for suing Summit Malibu
The case against Summit Malibu and its parent company has four 'causes of action', which is legal spiel for the actual legal claim against a defendant.
The first cause of action put forward by Willis' mother and her solicitor is that Willis' rights as a 'dependent adult' were infringed, with the case alleging Summit Malibu failed to provide a safe environment; failed to perform wellness checks; failed to protect her health; and failed to provide care for her mental and physical health needs.
As a result, as Willis' guardian and conservator, her mother Yesenia is claiming on her behalf to 'recover punitive damages', which is legal speak for monetary compensation.
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The second claim against the rehab clinic is that Willis was denied 'proper medical and nursing care', with the clinic 'negligently failing to diagnose her'. It says that the clinic 'failed to use reasonable care in selecting a competent staff, including medical staff, and/or to periodically reviewing the competency of said staff'.
It allegations that such acts, or lack of acts, 'contributed to and exacerbated her medical and health conditions'.
The third and fourth cases against Summit Malibu
The third legal case lodged against Summit Malibu alleges that the rehab centre and parent company violated Californian law that played a 'substantial factor in causing Willis' harm and damages'.
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It says Willis suffered 'severe personal injuries, pain, suffering and emotional distress, as well as medical and other economic expenses' as a result of these alleged violations.
The final claim lodged by Willis' mother says that the rehab centre and parent company 'engaged in unlawful, fraudulent and unfair business practices'.
It claims that Willis' family were given guarantees they could 'meet the needs' of Willis and that she would be 'safe at the facility'. These, alongside guarantees of 'adhering to laws and regulations relating to residential alcoholism and drug abuse recovery', were 'wilfully false and deceptive', it is alleged.
The claim goes as far as saying the conduct was 'malicious, despicable and fraudulent' and done to 'entice Willis to reside at the facility where she would not, in fact, be safe'. As a result, the case is asking for a refund on all money paid for Willis' care as well as damages relating to alleged violations of the law.
LADbible Group has contacted Summit Malibu for comment.
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Topics: Adult Industry, Crime, Drugs, Health, OnlyFans, PornHub, US News, Emily Willis
Tom Earnshaw