Iconic comedian Carrot Top is set to resume his residency at the Luxor Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, he announced nearly a month to the day after he was hospitalized amid a suicide attempt.
“I’m truly overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, prayers, and well wishes I’ve received over the past couple of weeks,” the comedian said Saturday on Instagram, speaking out for the first time since his crisis. “Every message, text, and kind thought has meant more to me than you know. While I haven’t been able to respond to everyone individually, please know that I’ve felt your love and appreciate each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.”
The 61-year-old funnyman said he will be back onstage at the Luxor Hotel & Casino at 7 p.m. Monday, where he has performed nearly 300 shows a year in residency since 2005. He included a ticket link. Carrot Top, given name Scott Thompson, became a fixture in the comedy world starting in the early 1990s with outsized props, quirky inventions and a riotous stage presence, making eccentricity his calling card with lasers, lights and music woven into his shows.
AP Photo/Mike Stewart
A photo showing Carrot Top is seen at the Luxor hotel and casino in Las Vegas in 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition on Sept. 18 after being found lying near his backyard pool breathing but unconscious after his manager requested a welfare check, Las Vegas Police said at the time.
A few days later Thompson was “awake, breathing on his own and continuing to improve, surrounded by his family and those closest to him” his publicist Jami Schlicher said in an update. Carrot Top’s legal team said his attempt to end his life had come weeks after singer Brian Evans reportedly threatened to expose a sexually explicit recording unless Thompson paid him a $500,000 “settlement.”
The comedian was released from the hospital after about a week to recover at home. In the intervening month he’d been seen in public twice, attending church alongside his mother on Oct. 4 and 11, but had not addressed the situation publicly.
“Many messages from fans have been shared with Scott, including stories from people about how his comedy helped them through difficult periods in their own lives,” his reps said during his hospitalization, according to People. “Hearing those stories and feeling that support has meant a great deal to him during his recovery.”
On Saturday Thompson took the chance to say that for himself.
“Thank you for being there for me during this time,” Thompson said in his Instagram post. “It truly means the world to me!”