Carrot Top Hospitalized After Suicide Attempt as Sexual Allegations Surface

By Scott Roeben, on September 19 2026
5 min read 21 comments
Las Vegas

Beloved Strip headliner Scott Thompson, better known by his stage name, Carrot Top, has canceled his upcoming shows at Luxor and is in the hospital following a reported suicide attempt.

This shocking news arrives on the heels of a series of explosive allegations involving sexually explicit videos, messages and relationships with men. Stories about the allegations surfaced Sept. 18, 2026, so the timing is impossible to ignore. TMZ reported Thompson attempted suicide in Las Vegas on Sept. 18 and was rushed to a hospital, where his representative says he is recovering and receiving care.

Local media have yet to report about the reason for Thompson’s hospitalization, and they’ve remained completely silent about his scandal, mostly because our local media sucks. (It’s not just incompetence or spinelessness, they have legitimate concerns about losing ad revenue and access. Vegas circles the wagons.)

Hang in there, brother.

Up front, we should say that we know Thompson, we’ve interviewed him, and we like him a lot. We aren’t objective about him and won’t pretend to be. His story is incredible. He was once a punchline for late-night talk show hosts, but over time proved himself to be an amazing talent and businessperson, made himself synonymous with Las Vegas and currently has more money than god.

Wealth, naturally, makes one the target of those seeking to enrich themselves, often through lawsuits.

Recently, Thompson has been hit with some very public and very uncomfortable accusations.

Some of the allegations have been out there for some time, but others are very fresh.

Singer Brian Evans sued Thompson in July 2026, alleging Thompson had sent him an unsolicited sexually explicit video involving another man (described as “significantly younger” than Thompson) and seeking to invalidate a 2024 settlement between them. That federal case was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice in August 2026 and was refiled in Florida state court. Evans has said he provided information to the FBI, although there is no public indication the agency opened an investigation or that Thompson has been accused of a crime by authorities.

The story escalated significantly when a second man, Zachary Defazio, filed a sworn declaration describing an alleged sexual relationship with Thompson that began in 2021 when Defazio was 19. Defazio alleges Thompson provided him alcohol and says one encounter occurred when he was too intoxicated to consent.

The claims have not been proven in court.

It’s all very painful to hear, and while nobody has said Thompson’s suicide attempt was related to the brewing scandal, it’s reasonable to believe there’s a connection.

The whole situation is made even more awkward because Thompson was in a long-term relationship with a girlfriend. They were together for years. So, there’s a chance we’re dealing with infidelity, too. Thompson has said recently he’s no longer in a relationship.

But the gay thing. Hooking up on Grindr, as is alleged, is mainly an LGBTQ pursuit. Thompson being gay (or possibly bisexual) is one of the worst-kept secrets in town. We personally know people who have bumped into him at gay bars. Who cares?

Despite it being 2026, this whole realm remains thorny. Many performers (and untold others, there are no openly gay players in the NHL, for example) have kept their sexual orientation and predilections under wraps due to fears their careers could be affected.

Famously, Siegfried and Roy never publicly acknowledged they were gay despite being possibly the most gay people, ever. It is truly tragic these very famous and wealthy men had to keep their true selves, including their relationship, hidden out of fear of homophobic backlash.

Thompson has spent decades making audiences laugh, but the “sad clown” phenomenon (laughing on the outside, tortured on the inside) is very real.

What does the scandal that appears to have weighed so heavily on Carrot Top actually involve?

First, someone received a sexually explicit video. JFC. There are massive numbers of people who receive unsolicited, sexually explicit material every day. They’re called women.

The video included Thompson performing sexual acts with someone “significantly younger” than him. Not sexual activity with someone underage, mind you. Just someone younger. Thompson is 61 years old (56 at the time of the alleged incident with Defazio). Virtually everyone is younger than him.

The accuser, Brian Evans, claims he agreed to a settlement he didn’t mean to agree to because he was “recovering from mental trauma associated with the 2023 Maui wildfires.”

We are empathetic to mental health struggles, but this has shakedown written all over it.

As for the most recent allegations, Thompson is accused of “catfishing” (using photos of someone else to hook up). You know, that thing literally everyone does on social networking apps.

The Defazio allegations also include serving alcohol to a minor (he was 19). Not optimal, but not career-ending.

According to Orlando Weekly, “Defazio says on Oct. 8, 2021, Thompson engaged in nonconsensual sexual conduct with him. Defazio says he was too drunk to consent.”

That aspect of the allegations has yet to be sorted out, but Defazio’s lawyers offered to settle for $7.5 million.

Also known as “an extortionate demand.”

Thompson is a sensitive dude. The threat of an embarrassing scandal had to mess with his head.

It’s not just his livelihood at stake, but the livelihoods of dozens of people on his team and at Luxor. It’s a lot of pressure, beyond any potential personal embarrassment.

It is heartbreaking if Thompson decided to take his life because of a fear of being outed. He endured decades of ridicule, and this was the breaking point? Our society really needs to get its shit together.

Hey, Carrot Top, please read this: Being gay, cool. Being “bi,” cool. Being closeted, cool, but others have been outed and bounced back stronger for it. If you lose ticket sales because you’re outed, it sucks, but so be it. Those aren’t the people you want at your shows, anyway. They’re assholes. If you weren’t cheating on anyone, cool. If you were, apologize. Don’t give liquor to minors. And always, always ask for written consent before having sex. It’s sort of required for famous people and the wealthy now.

Pay the bloodsucking lawyers and move on.

Suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem.

Thompson’s family says he’s getting the care he needs. Our best wishes go out to him for a quick recovery.

Update (9/19/26): We’re getting a fuller picture of the tactics of Thompson’s alleged victims and their lawyers. According to a post by @tmztv on Threads, “Carrot Top’s lawyer says someone tried to extort him over a sex tape weeks before his suicide attempt. In a filing TMZ obtained, his lawyer says Brian Evans threatened to put the recording in the court docket unless paid $500K—Evans wrote that it was a settlement offer, not a threat.” It’s not a stretch to believe Thompson was distraught about the release of a sex tape. It’s all about the money.

Update (9/20/26): We looked into the background of supposed “victim” Zachary Defazio. It’s colorful.

Update (9/20/26): It turns out alleged “victim” Brian Evans (hereafter referred to as the “litigious asshat”) is a real gem, too. In 1991, Brian Evans was convicted of felony theft after impersonating radio legend Casey Kasem in a call to a Los Angeles travel agency and charging about $2,900 in travel expenses to Kasem’s name. Evans received probation, but later served time in prison after violating its terms by leaving California to sing the national anthem at a Baltimore Orioles game. Evans subsequently talked about the escapade on Howard Stern’s radio show, and the bizarre episode was profiled by “People” magazine in 1994. Our very own Casino.org covered another episode with the litigious asshat in 2025. From that story, “According to ‘Seacoast Online,’ Evans, who once tried to run for the U.S. Senate in Hawaii, has a history of lawsuits, which includes suing the Hampton Board of Selectmen for $10 million after it declined to erect a plaque to his late mother. That case was dismissed.”

Update (9/22/26): In case you hadn’t already guessed, Thompson’s suicide attempt involved an overdose of prescription drugs.

Update (9/24/26): Page Six shares morePage Six shares more about the extortion attempt that appears to have led to Thompson’s attempt to take his own life.

Update (9/25/26): According to Luxor, Carrot Top is expected back onstage on Oct. 19, 2026, despite our advice he take more time off.