Carrot Top Threatened in Extortion Video Before Suicide Attempt, Report Says

Musician Brian Evans sent Carrot Top’s legal team a threatening video message in May 2024, alleging demands for money and threatening to release explicit material, according to a report by Page Six. The video was sent months before the comedian, whose real name is Scott Thompson, was hospitalized following a suicide attempt on September 18.

In the approximately 90-second clip obtained by Page Six, Evans, who previously opened for Thompson’s Las Vegas shows, stated, “At some point, things are no longer about settling, okay?” He added, “I know how to file, and I know how to respond, and I especially know how to promote... So this is all up to you, all of you. You’re on the wrong side of this. But if this is the way you want it, this is the way it’ll be.” The video did not contain a specific monetary demand.

However, the video's significance is amplified by court documents and a police report detailing accusations that Evans repeatedly sought substantial payouts while threatening to expose private and salacious material about the 61-year-old comedian. A September 3 Lake Mary Police Department report indicates that Carrot Top's attorney, Ronnie Bitman, accused Evans of attempting to extort his client. Bitman informed the police that Evans claimed to possess a USB drive with “sensitive contents of an explicit video about the client” and demanded $500,000, threatening to send the material to tabloids if Thompson did not comply.

The complaint was filed as “information only — extortion of client.” Due to Thompson residing outside Lake Mary's jurisdiction, the officer advised Bitman to contact law enforcement in the comedian's area. The alleged shakedown had already entered the legal system in Broward County.

In a September 3 filing, Thompson's legal team accused Evans of demanding “significant sums” and threatening to make a purported sexually explicit recording of the comedian a public court record. These claims remain allegations and have not resulted in a criminal finding against Evans.

Court documents show that Evans proposed a settlement, dubbed “Path A,” where Thompson would pay $500,000 in exchange for Evans resolving his claims. If not accepted, Evans indicated he would proceed with a motion involving the purported USB, predicting press attention. He maintained he was not threatening Thompson or seeking to “trade silence for money.” However, he warned that the $500,000 offer would not be available again after his deadline passed.

Evans had previously told Page Six that he never threatened to release any video in exchange for a settlement, asserting the footage had been deleted as part of an earlier agreement. The dispute originates from a 2024 settlement between Evans and Thompson that Evans is now attempting to nullify. Evans sued Thompson in August, seeking to void the agreement and claiming he lacked mental capacity due to psychiatric injuries from the 2023 Maui wildfires.

Thompson's attorneys informed a judge of the comedian's hospitalization following a September 18 suicide attempt, describing it as an “emergency in the most human sense.” Bitman argued that such sensitive allegations could quickly become national news if made public in court filings. Emails attached to Thompson’s emergency court filing reveal that Evans repeatedly coupled multi-million dollar settlement demands with threats of lawsuits, alleged video evidence, and press coverage.

In a May 18, 2024 email, Evans demanded $1.925 million, stating that failure to settle would lead to a lawsuit with exhibits including “the video,” warning of uncontrollable consequences. A week later, he raised the demand to $8 million, vowing to issue a press release immediately upon filing the complaint. By June 4, the demand was lowered to $530,000, with Evans acknowledging the dispute would become “national news” if not resolved.

Thompson's legal team has requested the judge impose restrictions on Evans, requiring court approval before filing material related to alleged private or sexual conduct and potentially limiting his ability to e-file documents without oversight. A federal judge in South Florida previously declared Evans a “vexatious litigant” in August, citing his numerous filings and their burden on the court, and restricted his ability to file new documents without prior approval. A Broward County judge also ruled this month that Evans had abused emergency-motion procedures, leading him to agree to certain relief regarding references to unrelated videos and text messages.