$1.35B Mega Millions Winner to Drop Lawsuit Against Ex After Losing Anonymity Fight

Maine’s biggest lottery winner is seeking to drop his lawsuit against an ex-partner he claims blabbed about his $1.35 billion jackpot to his parents after a judge ruled he could not remain anonymous. A storefront advertising the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot, which was won by a man who later tried to sue his ex for talking too much about it. (Image: Getty) The man, referred to in court documents only as “John Doe,” sued the mother of his child in November 2023, alleging that she violated a non-disclosure agreement designed to protect his identity when she allegedly told his father and stepmother about the win. $100K Per Disclosure The plaintiff sought an injunction barring his ex, referred to pseudonymously as Sara Smith, from disclosing any further information about the jackpot. He also asked the court to order Smith to identify everyone she had told and pay compensatory damages of at least $100,000 for each unauthorized disclosure. According to the lawsuit, the NDA was intended to “promote the safety and security” of Doe, Smith, and their daughter, and prevent the “irreparable harm” that could result if the media or public learned their identities and where they lived. Lawyers for Smith denied their client had violated the NDA and argued that the lawsuit was designed to pressure her amid an ongoing child custody battle. Smith alleged in a court filing that Doe hired a security team that followed her and her daughter around daily. Catch-22 Doe’s motion to dismiss the case came as the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an April 2025 ruling denying his request for a closed trial that would protect his identity. The appellate panel agreed with the lower court judge’s decision that a closed trial would run “hard against [the] historic concept of what the courts are and what they are not in this country.” In the motion to dismiss, Doe’s lawyers acknowledged their client was in a catch-22 situation. “…[E]ven if plaintiff were to win on his claims, his identity and confidential information would be revealed to the media and public, which is exactly what he brought suit to avoid,” they wrote. Smith’s attorney Peter Brann told the Portland Press Herald Wednesday (September 16) that he planned to oppose the motion to dismiss because it was filed “without prejudice.” “Which means that they can turn around and file another baseless lawsuit against the defendant tomorrow,” Brann said. “And that, I do not want. … It should never have been filed to begin with.” The post $1.35B Mega Millions Winner to Drop Lawsuit Against Ex After Losing Anonymity Fight appeared first on Casino.org.