LOS ANGELES—AVN Award-winner Emily Willis is slowly beginning to show signs of recovery from the catastrophic brain damage she suffered in 2024, Willis' mother told the tabloid TMZ on Thursday.
Her mother, Yesenia Cooper, shared with the outlet that Willis remains nonverbal but is able to communicate with her eyes and the shaking of her head.
Willis can understand about 80 percent of what is happening, Cooper said. In addition, TMZ reported that it was informed, "Emily is still learning to walk again and needs help being fed—but she is finally able to sleep on her own and has gotten back to watching movies and shows she enjoys."
This news comes after Willis and her family were awarded a $3 million settlement amid a negligence and malpractice lawsuit filed against the rehab clinic Summit Malibu.
It was believed that Willis suffered irreversible brain damage due to prolonged oxygen deprivation during a stay at Summit in 2024 for an addiction to the drug ketamine.
Her mother said that Willis is currently in Mexico receiving treatment from "top-tier therapists." This follows more than 10 procedures to treat her brain damage. Now, the family, per TMZ, is hoping to take Willis to Spain to undergo experimental neurological procedures to stimulate her bodily systems that control speech, communication and motor function.
