Carrot Top thanks fans after Sept. 18 suicide attempt, announces Oct. 19 Luxor show
Comedian Carrot Top (Scott Thompson), 61, posted his first public statement since a Sept. 18 suicide attempt, thanking fans and saying he will return to the stage at the Luxor in Las Vegas on Oct. 19.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Carrot Top, whose real name is Scott Thompson, posted a message on Instagram on Saturday, Oct. 17, thanking fans for their support. It was Thompson's first comment since a suicide attempt on Sept. 18. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Carrot Top returned to Instagram Saturday with a message for his fans, marking the comedian’s first comments after a Sept. 18 suicide attempt and hospitalization.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Daily MailR “Carrot Top has broken his silence nearly one month after his suicide attempt to thank fans for their support and announce his return to the stage.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Mixed · 2The 61-year-old wrote that he was "truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, prayers, and well wishes" received over the past couple of weeks. He said he had not been able to respond to everyone individually. The Hollywood ReporterLC “I’m truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, prayers, and well wishes I’ve received over the past couple of weeks.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Daily MailR “While I haven’t been able to respond to everyone individually, please know that I’ve felt your love” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Mixed · 2The post said Thompson will perform at the Luxor Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip on Monday, Oct. 19. The Hollywood Reporter gave the start time as 8 p.m. and said the comedian has a residency at the MGM-owned property. Daily MailR “Thompson is scheduled to perform this coming Monday, October 19 at the Luxor Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “will return to the stage at Luxor Hotel & Casino on Oct. 19 for the 8 p.m. show. He has a residency at the MGM property.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Left · 1Comments of support came from Jay Mohr, Hannah Einbinder and Sarah Hudson. The Hollywood Reporter also said Thompson had appeared with their mother at a Las Vegas church on Oct. 4 and Oct. 11, and had not commented on their health before the post. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Notable names flooded the comments section with words of support, including stand-up superstar Jay Mohr”“two public appearances alongside his mother at a local Las Vegas church, on both Oct. 4 and Oct. 11” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Right · 1According to the Daily Mail, citing TMZ, Thompson was found unresponsive in a Las Vegas backyard from an apparent prescription pill overdose. The Daily Mail said police found Thompson shortly before 4:30pm, and that Thompson was hospitalized in critical condition. A representative later said Thompson was awake and breathing unaided. Daily MailR “was hospitalized on September 18 after being found unresponsive in his Las Vegas backyard from an apparent prescription pill overdose.”“police, who discovered Thompson shortly before 4:30pm. Thompson was subsequently hospitalized in critical condition.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail reported, citing TMZ, that Thompson had texted the manager the word "done" after learning of a report accusing Thompson of sexual misconduct. The manager reportedly told police Thompson feared the residency would end. The TMZ-sourced report also said three weeks of Luxor shows were cancelled. Daily MailR “Thompson had allegedly texted his manager the word 'done,' then stopped responding after he learned of a report accusing him of sexual misconduct.”“His next three weeks of shows at the Luxor Hotel's Atrium Showroom have been cancelled as he continues his recovery, TMZ reported.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Mixed · 2A legal dispute with singer Brian Evans lies behind the reports. Radar Online reported in July that Evans was suing Thompson, accusing Thompson of sending an unprompted sexually explicit video, and a second accuser reportedly came forward in September. Thompson's lawyer said in a Sept. 20 court filing that Evans was running an extortion scheme, threatening to release a recording unless paid $500,000. Daily MailR “Radar Online reported that Thompson was being sued by his former friend, singer Brian Evans, who accused him of sending an unprompted sexually explicit video.”“Evans had been carrying out an extortion scheme over the aforementioned footage, threatening to release it if he wasn't granted $500,000.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “a man named Brian Evans had threatened to file a “sexually explicit recording on a USB drive depicting the comedian into a court’s legal docket” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Right · 1Evans denied threatening to post any video in exchange for a settlement and said the video was deleted long ago. He said he was not to blame for Thompson's actions. Thompson's representative Jami Schlicher told the Daily Mail that a federal court had declared Evans a "vexatious litigant". Daily MailR “I never threatened – ever – to post any video anywhere in exchange for a settlement”“A federal court recently declared Mr. Evans a "vexatious litigant" and described his filings as "serial" and "spurious."” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Left · 1Earlier, Thompson's representative told TMZ that Thompson was recovering with family and asked that privacy be respected. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Mr. Thompson is currently recovering, surrounded by his family and those closest to him.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Hollywood Reporter leads with the comedian's thank-you message and return to the stage, treating it as a health and recovery update.
- Emphasis
- Public support from other entertainers, the church appearances with the comedian's mother, and the rep's privacy request. The extortion allegation gets only brief mention.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the sexual-misconduct report, the lawsuit details, Evans's denial, or the police report details that the Daily Mail includes.
- For example
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“Notable names flooded the comments section with words of support, including stand-up superstar Jay Mohr” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Daily Mail pairs the thank-you message with a detailed account of the overdose, the misconduct allegation and the Evans legal fight.
- Emphasis
- Police-report details, TMZ-sourced reporting, the alleged $500,000 extortion demand, Evans's denial and the rep's 'vexatious litigant' rebuttal.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the church appearances or the named celebrities who commented on the post.
- Charged language
- “shock attempt”“unsavory article”
- For example
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“Thompson was allegedly asked to pay $500,000 or risk having a 'sexually explicit recording' leaked before his shock attempt to take his own life.” — Daily Mail
What every side reports
- Carrot Top, real name Scott Thompson, is 61.
- He attempted suicide on Sept. 18 and was hospitalized.
- He posted a thank-you message on Instagram on Oct. 17, his first comments since.
- He is set to perform at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 19.
- Brian Evans is alleged to have demanded $500,000 over a sexually explicit recording.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Brian Evans threatened to release a sexually explicit recording unless paid $500,000
- Left
- The Hollywood Reporter relays a Thompson rep's claim, via TMZ, that Evans threatened to file the recording unless paid $500,000.
- Right
- The Daily Mail reports Thompson's lawyer alleged an extortion scheme; Evans denies ever threatening to post the video and says it was deleted long ago.
Left1 article
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Sympathetic Presents the post as a recovery milestone and return to the stage, highlighting supportive reactions and the family's privacy request.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
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Mixed Reports the thank-you post, then gives extensive background on the overdose, misconduct allegation and extortion dispute, with both Evans's and Thompson's side quoted.
- 17 Oct 20:29 First Daily MailR Carrot Top breaks silence after suicide attempt and tells fans he is 'overwhelmed by outpouring of love'
- 17 Oct 20:41 +11m The Hollywood ReporterLC Carrot Top Breaks Silence After Suicide Attempt and Hospitalization as Comedian Preps Return to Stage
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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