LAS VEGAS — Lawyers representing comedian Carrot Top have accused singer Brian Evans of demanding $500,000 while indicating that a sexually explicit recording involving the entertainer could be placed in a public court file if the dispute was not resolved.

The allegation emerged in a September 3 filing in Broward County, Florida, according to court material reviewed by the Daily Mail. Evans denies threatening to publish or leak a recording, and no court has ruled that his communication amounted to extortion or blackmail.

The legal development became public while Scott Thompson, the 61-year-old comedian known professionally as Carrot Top, remained hospitalized in Las Vegas. His representative has confirmed that he is recovering but has not officially disclosed the reason for his hospitalization.

What the $500,000 communication allegedly said

According to the filing, Evans presented what he called “Path A,” seeking $500,000 in immediately available funds in exchange for resolving his claims against Thompson. Otherwise, Evans said he would proceed with a motion seeking permission for another filing.

Thompson’s lawyers alleged that the proposed filing involved sexually explicit material stored on a USB drive and argued that placing it on a public docket could make it accessible to reporters and others.

“This is not settlement communication,” Thompson’s legal team wrote, according to the published court excerpts. The lawyers characterized it as a “malicious threat” intended to expose Thompson to disgrace and obtain money under the cover of litigation.

Evans disputes that interpretation. In his correspondence, he said he did not control the public docket or how news organizations might report on a filing. “That is a foreseeable fact about third-party reporting of a public docket. It is not a threat,” he wrote.

Evans also told the Daily Mail that he had never threatened to post a video in exchange for a settlement and said the dispute was “not the black and white story portrayed.” His statements mean the $500,000 episode should be described as an allegation by Thompson’s lawyers—not as a proven act of extortion.

The controversy follows a federal complaint Evans filed against Thompson on July 8. The publicly accessible Southern District of Florida docket lists claims including rescission, fraudulent inducement and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Evans voluntarily dismissed that action without prejudice on August 6, meaning the merits of his allegations were not decided.

During that federal case, Judge Roy K. Altman struck one of Evans’ filings, calling it frivolous and warning that continued frivolous submissions could lead to sanctions. Thompson’s representative, Jami Schlicher, later said a federal court had described Evans’ broader filings as “serial” and “spurious.” Those court observations concern Evans’ litigation conduct; they do not by themselves decide the present dispute over the recording.

Carrot Top remains in recovery

Thompson was hospitalized on Friday, September 18, hours before a scheduled performance at the Luxor Hotel and Casino. His Friday and Saturday appearances were cancelled. Reports have attributed the hospitalization to a suicide attempt, but his representative has confirmed only that he is receiving medical care.

“Mr. Thompson is recovering in the hospital and is receiving the care and support he needs,” Schlicher told People. She added that his family and those closest to him were grateful for the concern and asked that his privacy be respected.

The Luxor also said it was relieved to hear Thompson was recovering and wished him strength. The comedian has maintained a residency at the Las Vegas venue since 2005. Further background on the cancellations and his condition is available in the earlier report on Carrot Top’s Las Vegas hospitalization.

There is currently no verified evidence establishing that the legal dispute caused Thompson’s hospitalization. The central legal question also remains unresolved: Thompson’s side describes Evans’ message as a threat, while Evans maintains that it was a settlement proposal connected to a planned court filing.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Outside the US, contact local emergency services or a crisis-support organization in your country.

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