$1M Lottery Winner Who Continued to Collect Food Stamps Dies of Possible Overdose

The Michigan lottery winner who shot to prominence after admitting that she was still collecting food stamps died Saturday of a possible drug overdose, the Detroit News reported.

Amanda Clayton, 25, was found dead at home around 9 a.m. Saturday, Ecorse police Sgt. Cornelius Herring confirmed. An autopsy is pending, according to WXYZ-TV.

Her friend's boyfriend told WXYZ Clayton was discovered lying on the bed with her 1 1/2-year-old. The boyfriend said Clayton was "already in a bad stage" Friday night.

In March, a local news station confronted Clayton on camera about why she was still using food stamps to pay for her meals after winning a $1 million lottery prize. She defended the practice, saying, “I feel that it’s OK because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay, I have two houses."

The state of Michigan said Clayton received about $5,500 in food aid and medical benefits after winning a pre-tax lottery windfall of $735,000 last year, according to the Detroit News.

State officials took Clayton's welfare benefits away once her story went viral. She pleaded no contest to fraud in June and was sentenced to nine months' probation in July.

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