Comedian Carrot Top is recovering in a Las Vegas hospital after an alleged suicide attempt, and court documents show he was fighting a $500,000 extortion demand over a sex tape in the weeks before the incident.

Scott Thompson, the 61-year-old prop comic known professionally as Carrot Top, was rushed to a hospital in the Las Vegas area on Friday after what sources described to TMZ as a suicide attempt. His representative, Jami Schlicher, confirmed the hospitalization but initially declined to address the circumstances. By the time Page Six reported an update, Thompson was awake, breathing on his own, and showing signs of improvement.

The hospitalization forced the cancellation of Thompson's regular weekend performances at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where he has held a prop-comedy residency since 2005, one of the longest-running solo acts on the Strip. Fox News reported that Thompson was seen at a bar around 2 p.m. Friday, just hours before his 8 p.m. show was scheduled to begin. Both his Friday and Saturday shows were scrapped.

An MGM Resorts spokesperson called Thompson "a beloved member of the Luxor and MGM Resorts family" and said the company was "relieved to hear that he is recovering." The future of his residency remains unclear.

A $500,000 demand and a sex tape on a USB drive

Court documents obtained by Page Six add a darker layer to the story. On September 3, Thompson's attorney Ronnie Bitman filed papers in Broward County, Florida, alleging that musician Brian Evans, a former opening act for Thompson's Luxor show, had been extorting the comedian over a sexually explicit recording.

Bitman's filing stated plainly what Evans allegedly demanded:

"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."

An email from Evans to Bitman, included in the court filing, requested $500,000 "in immediately available funds, in exchange for resolution of all claims against" Thompson. Evans stated the video was stored on a USB drive. The email closed with a line that read more like a deadline than a negotiation: the offer was "not an offer your client will ever see again, not even remotely close."

Evans, for his part, pushed back on the extortion characterization. He told Page Six the email was "intended to be confidential" and insisted he "never threatened, ever, to post any video anywhere in exchange for a settlement." He claimed the video "was deleted a long time ago" under the terms of a prior settlement between the two men. Details of that earlier agreement were not disclosed in the filing.

Evans also told Page Six he was sorry Thompson "felt compelled to harm himself." The court filing does not draw an explicit causal link between the alleged extortion and the suicide attempt, and no law enforcement involvement has been reported.

A judge already flagged Evans as a 'vexatious litigant'

Thompson's representative offered additional context that raises questions about Evans's credibility. Schlicher noted that a judge had previously declared Evans a "vexatious litigant" and described his court filings as "serial" and "spurious." The name of the judge, the date of that ruling, and the specific case were not included in the available court records.

That designation matters. Courts typically reserve the "vexatious litigant" label for individuals who file repeated, meritless lawsuits, a pattern serious enough that judges impose restrictions on future filings. If Evans had already earned that label before sending the $500,000 demand, it suggests a history of using the legal system as leverage rather than seeking legitimate relief.

Evans's own email seemed to acknowledge the optics. He wrote that he was "not offering to create coverage, stop coverage, or trade silence for money," and added, "I cannot control what outlets draft after a public motion is filed. The only thing that stops coverage is if we both stop filing anything." Whether a court ultimately views that language as a threat or a negotiation tactic remains an open question.

Thompson's family asks for privacy as fans rally

Schlicher's updated statement painted a cautiously hopeful picture of Thompson's recovery. She said the comedian was "surrounded by his family and those closest to him" and that humor remained "such an important part of who Scott is."

"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."

The outpouring of public concern echoes similar moments when celebrities facing health crises have been moved by fan support. Schlicher said Thompson and his family "remain deeply grateful for the extraordinary kindness" and asked that his privacy be respected.

Breitbart confirmed that Thompson's Sunday night show at the Luxor was also canceled, extending the disruption beyond the initial weekend slate. The New York Post reported that the Friday night cancellation came first, with Thompson's representative confirming at that time only that he was "recovering in the hospital."

Thompson has been a fixture on the Las Vegas entertainment scene for more than two decades. His residency at the Luxor, which began in 2005, made him one of the Strip's most enduring solo performers, a comedian who built a career on absurdist prop comedy and sheer stamina in a town that chews through acts. Whether that residency continues remains, in Schlicher's words, "up in the air."

What remains unanswered

Several critical questions remain. No law enforcement agency has publicly confirmed an investigation into the alleged extortion. Evans has not provided documentation to support his claim that the sex tape was deleted. The nature of the underlying "claims against" Thompson referenced in Evans's email has not been disclosed. And the specific circumstances of Thompson's suicide attempt, including the method, have not been made public by his representatives or by authorities.

What the court record does show is a man who was facing a $500,000 demand backed by a threat to make a private recording public, filed by someone a judge had already labeled a serial, spurious litigant. That sequence of events deserves scrutiny from a courtroom, not just a tabloid page.

A man who spent 21 years making strangers laugh for a living deserved better than to be squeezed in the dark. The courts should make sure someone answers for it.

If you or someone you know is struggling, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or text 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.