this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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me_irl
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She didn't even buy that lottery ticket. All that trouble was foisted upon her because someone else gave her the ticket. Imagine you're minding your own business, and then someone gives you a lottery ticket and your whole life gets turned upside down. It's crazy to think that It Could Happen to You.
If I get handed 10 million I'll manage some turnings
Is the truth behind that movie?
Sort of. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo worked at a pizzeria and Officer Robert Cunningham suggested splitting a lottery ticket in lieu of a tip. Penzo actually forgot about it, but Cunningham won $6 million and honored their agreement. The film came out in 1994, so it was almost certainly inspired by the story (I didn't find a definitive answer in my incredibly brief search).
The woman pictured in OP's post is Tonda Dickerson, who was a waitress at Waffle House in Florida in 1999. She was tipped the lottery ticket, and everything in the image appears to be true.
Wow so one gets a movie made and she doesn't. Sounds like way more interesting story.