$1.35B Mega Millions Winner Sues His Daughter’s Mom for Telling His Family About Win
The still-unidentified winner "has suffered irreparable injury" from the disclosures, court papers allege
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Many Mega Millions lottery tickets. Mega Millions is Americas biggest jackpot game. It is held in 42 states and has jackpots starting at $12 million.A Maine man who won the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot in January is suing the mother of his daughter after she allegedly violated a non-disclosure agreement by spilling the beans to his family, according to a federal lawsuit.
The mystery man bought the historic winning ticket on Jan. 13 at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon and selected a one-time, lump-sum payment of $723,564,144 before taxes, PEOPLE previously reported.
According to the suit, the mother of his daughter, identified as Sara Smith, allegedly signed an NDA that required her to keep the win of all time a secret until June 2032, when their daughter turned 18, according to court documents shared by The Daily Beast.
The Maine Lottery Association revealed the man's win in a statement on Feb. 22, nearly six weeks after the drawing, according to The Boston Globe. At the time, a representative for the winner said the lucky individual "is thoughtfully considering the best uses of the life-changing prize," according to the paper.
The winner's identity has remained a secret, even to lottery officials. "I understand why someone would want to remain anonymous with this kind of money, Michael Boardman, deputy director of Maine Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages & Lottery Operation, said, per CBS News. “We wish them well and hope they do good things with it.”
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However, per the lawsuit filed Tuesday, during “one or more telephone communications” with his father and stepmom in September, Smith allegedly divulged his win, reported the New York Daily News. The man's sister was also allegedly made aware of his windfall, according to the New York Post.
Related: Powerball Ticket Worth $1.5 Million Claimed Hours Before Expiration
The Maine man, identified as John Doe in the court document, is seeking the names of those who were given the "unauthorized" disclosures as well as compensatory damages “in an amount to be determined at trial, but no less than $100,000 per unauthorized disclosure," per the Daily Beast.
"As a result of Defendant's unauthorized disclosures, John Doe has suffered irreparable injury, and there is immediate and imminent danger that John Doe will continue to suffer irreparable injury for which there is no adequate remedy at law," the suit alleges.
The man's attorney, Gregory Brown, declined to comment to PEOPLE about the case.
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