Woman wins millions in the lottery: Why she now doesn't have a cent left
Leeds (England) - It was the big lottery win! Lara Griffiths and her husband Roger won the equivalent of around 2.1 million euros. But now there is nothing left of all that money.
The couple met at university and married in 1997. In 2005 - in their mid-30s - they became the first online winners of the British lottery.
However, as Lara now tells theMirror, the large sum of money was not to last for the rest of their lives.
The couple quit their jobs - she worked as a teacher, he as an IT manager - and flew halfway around the world. They moved into a converted barn and bought a beauty salon.
Then, in 2010, came the first blow of fate when their beloved home went up in flames. "It was a nightmare - we also lost all our possessions. We didn't even have any clothes to wear. Our house burned for three days," said the British woman.
She herself was not at home at the time of the fire. Her husband, the two children and the dogs were able to escape. The family then lived in hotels or with Lara's mother for eight months before their home was ready to move back into.
But then the couple's marriage broke down, and the time that followed was "absolute hell" for Lara. After all, she had to raise her two children while she herself dealt with the grief of the separation.
After winning the lottery: Lara had nothing left
When the divorce finally followed in 2013, the money ran out. "I had to sell the house, sell my business and then sell everything I owned," she said. "It was an absolute disaster. It was really terrible."
Her health also deteriorated. Due to her Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract - she only weighed 35 kilos.
In the meantime, her life has calmed down again and the British actress has a new man by her side. She is also doing well professionally and owns her own tattoo and cosmetics studio.
And although she has no money left over from her million-dollar winnings, she is not sad. "I love my life now. I've been through some really difficult moments, but I don't regret winning. I regret not having the money anymore, but I plan to get it back somehow."