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Carrot Top is awake and breathing on his own following an alleged suicide attempt.
The comedian’s (real name Scott Thompson) representative, Jami Schlicher, told Page Six, “Scott remains hospitalized and under close medical care. He is now awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him.
“Humor has always been such an important part of who Scott is and how he connects with people, and that remains true today as he shares moments of humor with the medical staff caring for him,” she continued.
“Many messages from fans have been shared with Scott, including stories from people about how his comedy helped them through difficult periods in their own lives. Hearing those stories and feeling that support has meant a great deal to him during his recovery,” Schlicher noted.
“Scott and his family remain deeply grateful for the extraordinary kindness and continue to ask that his privacy be respected.”
Carrot Top, 61, attempted suicide Friday in the Las Vegas area before being rushed to a local hospital, sources told TMZ.
Schlicher confirmed the comedian’s hospitalization to Page Six at the time, but did not address the circumstances that led to it.
Thompson was being extorted over a sex tape prior to the reported suicide attempt Friday, according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
Ronnie Bitman, the comedian’s attorney, claimed in a Sept. 3 filing in Broward County, Florida, that musician Brian Evans — a previous opening performer for Thompson’s long-running show at Las Vegas’ Luxor Hotel and Casino — threatened to leak an X-rated video of his client if he wasn’t paid.
“Evans demands immediate payment of significant sums and states that, absent immediate payment, a sexually explicit recording of Thompson will be filed in the public court file so that it may be obtained and disseminated by the press and other parties,” Bitman wrote, in part.
The court filing included an email from Evans to Bitman in which he requested $500,000 “in immediately available funds, in exchange for resolution of all claims against” Thompson or else he’d release the video, which was on a USB drive, in a public docket.
In the email, Evans writes, “It is not a threat. I am not offering to create coverage, stop coverage, or trade silence for money. I cannot control what outlets write after a public motion is filed. The only thing that stops coverage is if we both stop filing anything.”
“I am telling you … that I would rather resolve the claims against your client [Thompson] than continue this motion practice,” Evans added.
Evans’ email ended with a note that, should Bitman not meet his deadline, “it is not an offer your client will ever see again — not even remotely close.”