Carrot Top’s legal team has accused Brian Evans of attempting to extort $500,000 from the comedian by threatening to place a s3xually explicit recording involving him on a public court docket.
According to a September 3 court filing obtained by TMZ, lawyers for the 61-year-old comedian, whose real name is Scott Thompson, alleged that Evans threatened to submit a USB drive containing the recording unless a $500,000 settlement was reached. Evans has disputed the characterisation of his communications as a threat.
In an email included as an exhibit in the filing, Evans wrote: “Given the existing posture of the case and the coverage already in print, I expect the press will report the motion and will use its own imagination about what the USB is… That is a foreseeable fact about third-party reporting of a public docket. It is not a threat.”
Evans then outlined what he described as one option for resolving the dispute. “Path A remains available on the terms previously stated: Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) in immediately available funds, in exchange for resolution of all claims against Scott Thompson… Otherwise I will proceed with the motion for leave as the next filing,” he wrote.
According to the filing, Evans also sent Thompson’s legal team links to online coverage of his case against the comedian. Thompson’s lawyers argued that the communications amounted to an attempt to obtain money by threatening public embarrassment.
“This is not settlement communication. On its face it is a malicious threat to expose Thompson to disgrace, and to expose a secret affecting him, with intent thereby to extort money under the guise of litigation conduct,” the legal team wrote. The allegation of extortion is the position advanced by Thompson’s lawyers and has not been established as a criminal finding against Evans. A representative for Thompson also pointed to previous court findings involving Evans.
“A federal court recently declared Mr. Evans a ‘vexatious litigant’ and described his filings as ‘serial’ and ‘spurious.’ In dismissing one of his cases with prejudice, the court went even further, stating: ‘It appears this entire case is designed to harass Defendants.’ The court’s findings and Mr. Evans’s litigation record speak for themselves,” the representative said. The dispute emerged publicly as Thompson remains hospitalised following a reported suicide attempt. His representative said the comedian is currently focused on his recovery.
“Mr. Thompson is currently recovering, surrounded by his family and those closest to him. His focus is on his health and recovery, and we ask that his privacy be respected at this time.” TMZ reported that it contacted Evans for comment but had not received a response.
