Carrot Top, the mop-topped prop comedian who has entertained audiences since the early 1990s, was taken to a Las Vegas hospital after an apparent suicide attempt, according to a report by TMZ.
In a statement to the entertainment website, a representative for the 61-year-old entertainer — whose real name is Scott Thompson — said that he was “recovering in the hospital and is receiving the care and support he needs.”
“His family and those closest to him are deeply grateful for the concern, prayers and respectfully ask for privacy,” the statement read, without offering further details.
The Times has not been able to independently verify the report and a message to the representative, Jami Schlicher, wasn’t immediately returned.
No updates had been posted to the comedian’s official Instagram account as of Saturday morning.
TMZ reported that Thompson was taken to a Las Vegas area hospital after the attempt to take his own life.
With a career spanning decades, Thompson has attracted followers for his trademark high-energy style and loony routines. For just as long, critics have ripped into his eccentric on-stage persona; still, Thompson has enjoyed one of the longest-running residencies in Las Vegas, playing shows at the Luxor Hotel & Casino.
“Scott is a beloved member of the Luxor and MGM Resorts family, and we are relieved to hear that he is recovering,” an MGM Resorts spokesman told Vegas news outlets on Friday night. “We are thinking of him and wish him strength as he receives the care and support he needs.”
His Friday show was reportedly canceled.
Thompson has in recent years, also been more outspoken about the childhood bullying he said he endured because of his distinctive fiery red hair.
The Florida native was also facing legal troubles, according to news reports.
This week, a man filed a claim in court accusing Thompson of sexually exploiting him and furnishing him with alcohol when he was 19. .
In 2022, he also had a public falling out with fellow comedian and former mentor, Gallagher, who died that year.
