Carrot Top Released From Hospital After Suicide Attempt, Rep Says

Becoming Carrot Top

Carrot Top was born in Rockledge, Florida, in 1965. But before he got his iconic moniker, he was known as Scott Thomspon. As for the story behind his stage name?

“Unfortunately, I had something to do with that,” he told Allison Kugel during a 2022 appearance on her Allison Interviews web series. “It’s a blessing and a curse. Why I did it? I don’t know.  I thought the name Scott Thompson was kind of boring. Well, not kind of, it is.”

That’s why when he decided to pursue a career in comedy in the late 1980s, he wanted a name that would stick. 

“Being a stage performer, I always thought I should have something fun,” he explained. “Queen Latifah was taken, and so I thought, ‘Gosh, I need something better.’ I went up to the stage one night and said, ‘Bring me up as Carrot Top.’ They said, ‘Carrot Top? Are you sure?’  I said, ‘Yes, I’m pretty sure.’ And that was it.” 

He added, “I was ‘Carrot Top’ forever.”

The Price of Fame

Carrot Top had his big break during a 1991 appearance on Comic Strip Live followed by a performance on Star Search, a talent competition show that originally aired from 1983 to 1995 before Netflix rebooted the series in 2026.

But his 1992 appearance on Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show marked a turning point in the comedian’s career, catapulting him into mainstream stardom.

But as the performer climbed the ranks of Hollywood, he learned that with success came public scrutiny. 

"If you read what people say about you, it will kill you," he told Esquire in 2015. "Don't do that. But I know some people say I'm hideous, the most disgusting, ugliest guy in the world. And then some people say, 'Oh my God, he's f--king beautiful.'”

“I've always been love or hate,” he added. “That's fine. Thank God I've had more love than hate."

Silencing the Noise

While the challenges that come with fame may ebb and flow, the entertainer previously shared his determination to stay focused on his craft.

“There’s a lot of responsibility that goes in with. If you're going to be famous, it's more about the job,” he said during a November 2023 appearance on Jason Tartick’s Trading Secrets podcast. “Being famous is silly. But you don’t really find out until you probably are. And then you're like, ‘This is silly.’

His Changing Look

Yes, Carrot Top’s unmissable hairdo is in fact natural.

After all, he told Bill Maher during a 2023 appearance on the Club Random Podcast that his locks are “all mine.”

Though he used to rock a fire red curly afro back in the day, he now rocks a “dreaded” look, which he shared was a reflection of his mental health.

“It’s dreaded because I dread every f--king day of my life being Carrot Top. So, I dread it,” he said before adding of his words, “That’s actually funny.”

As for why he prefers for his locks to grow wild? Well, after Shania Twain asked him why he doesn’t put on a hat to cover his hair, he recalled to NPR in 2022 that “I said, No, I like my hair! I don’t wanna be stuffed into a hat.”

“I like being Carrot Top, I don’t have a problem with being Carrot Top,” he added. “I don’t mind being me.”

Building a Legacy

Though Carrot Top has had a residency at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas for the past 21 years, he wouldn’t consider himself one of the greats just yet. 

“That means you’re old,” he told NPR in 2022, “because you can’t be an icon or a legend unless you’ve been around for a long time.”

But as he continues to climb his way there, he's dedicated to helping the young comedians coming though the door behind him. 

“You just got to go do it,” he said. “Bite it, go for it and get as much stage time as you can. So you can kind of figure out what it is you are going to talk about when you get up there.”

What Comes Next

Before Carrot Top was hospitalized in Las Vegas in September 2026, he shared insight into the future of his career, telling NPR that what would come next for him was “Probably a nap.”

But in the meantime, he shared his desire to keep performing at the Luxor. 

“This is all I know,” he said. “I don’t have anything else. I’m just this. When this is it, I’ll just go sit somewhere and ponder how much fun I had.”