The man accused of attempting to blackmail Carrot Top reportedly said he “never” threatened to release sexually explicit recordings involving the comedian before Thompson’s suicide attempt.

The comedian, whose real name is Scott Thompson, was taken to hospital on Friday after attempting to take his own life shortly before a scheduled performance in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Thompson’s lawyer, the alleged suicide attempt followed a demand from singer Brian Evans for $500,000. In a September 3 court filing obtained by the Daily Mail, the attorney claimed Evans threatened to submit a USB drive containing sexually explicit material involving Thompson to a court docket if the money was not paid.

The contents of the alleged recording have not been disclosed.

It is also unclear how Thompson, 61, tried to harm himself. As of Sunday, he is awake and breathing on his own, Jami Schilcher, his representative, told Page Six. 

After the allegation became public, however, Evans said the recording on the USB drive had already been deleted, according to TMZ.

The singer also denied that he had attempted to blackmail Thompson.

“I never threatened — ever — to post any video anywhere in exchange for a settlement,” Evans told the outlet. “The video they are discussing — as I made very clear — was deleted a long time ago in accordance with the prior settlement.”

Addressing Thompson’s suicide attempt, Evans said he was “sorry that Scott apparently did something to hurt himself.”

“I do not consider Scott to be a bad person… based on what I know — but he made a few decisions that were not good ones. That is not a reason to hurt himself,” Evans said. He added that he could not be held responsible for Thompson’s actions.

“Finally, it’s not my fault… that Scott did what he did. We don’t even actually know what he did.

“He survived and I am glad about that. Scott is still young and has a big life ahead of him. It’s not my intent to bring this guy down. It’s the opposite.”

Evans issued the response after emailing Thompson’s lawyer to insist that the recording was “not a threat,” as previously reported by the Daily Mail.

“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,” Evans wrote.

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He continued: “That is a foreseeable fact about third-party reporting of a public docket. It is not a threat.”

Evans said he did “not control the public docket” and did “not control the press.”

He then stated that $500,000 had to be paid to him “in immediately available funds” for the “resolution of all claims against Scott Thompson….”

The court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail do not make clear whether the payment was a demand or a genuine settlement offer.

In response, Thompson’s legal team characterized Evans’ actions as a “malicious threat” intended to “expose” the comedian.

‘This is not settlement communication,’ they wrote.

‘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.’

Schlicher also told the Daily Mail: ‘A federal court recently declared Mr. Evans a “vexatious litigant” and described his filings as “serial” and “spurious”. 

In an update, Schlicher told Page Six that Thompson is improving and is surrounded by his loved ones. 

He is also being his typical humorous self in the hospital, the source added. 

‘Humor has always been such an important part of who Scott is and how he connects with people, and that remains true today as he shares moments of humor with the medical staff caring for him.’ 

Thompson has also been left feeling touched by heartfelt messages from fans following the incident. 

‘Scott and his family remain deeply grateful for the extraordinary kindness and continue to ask that his privacy be respected,’ he added. 

TORONTO — Breanna Stewart’s standout performance in Berlin helped Team USA secure its fifth straight World Cup medal.

Since then, she has continued to look nearly impossible to stop.

Stewart was at her best Sunday, scoring a game-high 27 points in the New York Liberty’s 106-69 rout of the Toronto Tempo before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

New York held an eight-point advantage at halftime, but Stewart turned the game into a runaway with a dominant third period.

She sank five straight shots while scoring 14 points in the quarter. Her only miss came on a desperation attempt from nearly half court as the shot clock expired.

Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu went to the bench with 2:46 remaining in the third quarter, and Jonquel Jones followed soon afterward.

After the trio helped the Liberty build a 21-point lead entering the fourth, New York’s front-line stars were rewarded for their early work. The rest of the roster finished the game, including recently signed developmental player Madison Scott, who made her season debut.

Stewart played just 22 minutes, two days after spending 38 minutes on the floor in a statement victory over the Minnesota Lynx.

Coach Chris DeMarco said the team would continue monitoring workloads. Sunday marked the opening game of a back-to-back and the second of four contests in six days, with the playoffs approaching.

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Stewart led Team USA in minutes during the Berlin tournament. Leonie Fiebich also carried a heavy workload for Germany, which finished fourth.

“We understand it’s playoff time, and these games matter,” DeMarco said before the game. “Some players will play a little bit more, but we have to monitor Stew coming out of Team USA and the World Cup and how she’s feeling, and everyone else … Teamwide we’re looking at it.”

The Liberty established control from the opening tip, moving the ball effectively in the first quarter and recording eight assists on 10 made baskets.

Their offense lost its rhythm during a second-quarter stretch, however. New York missed six consecutive shots as an 8-1 Toronto run trimmed the lead to four.

The Liberty regained their momentum late in the quarter and carried an eight-point advantage into halftime.

Ionescu, who has struggled to find consistency this season while dealing with a nagging back injury, was unable to get her shot going in Toronto.

She missed all seven of her attempts in the first half.

Even without her scoring touch, Ionescu contributed in other ways, finishing with nine assists.

The Liberty remain in the fight for playoff position and now return home for two games against the Atlanta Dream. A pair of victories could lift New York as high as fourth place and secure home-court advantage in the opening round.

President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian are expected to arrive in New York this week for the U.N. General Assembly, creating what former White House officials say could be a tense and highly theatrical diplomatic encounter. The moment comes as U.S. restrictions leave Iran’s delegation with sharply limited freedom of movement amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.

Pezeshkian is scheduled to speak before the assembly on Wednesday, according to Reuters and Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency. Trump is due to address the gathering from the podium on Tuesday.

“The choreography here is going to make for a fairly dramatic moment,” Theo Wold, a former acting assistant attorney general and White House domestic policy adviser, told News Media.

Wold said the restrictions would reduce the Iranian delegation’s access to international media and limit its ability to publicly challenge the Trump administration. At the same time, he argued that allowing Iranian officials to attend the global forum was a reasonable step: They could present the issues important to Tehran before returning home.

The United Nations gathering takes place as Trump considers whether to launch additional strikes against Iran during a conflict that has continued for nearly seven months. Tehran, for its part, has outlined seven conditions for negotiations with Washington, according to Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei.

Iran also issued a warning Sunday about any major new assault by the United States or its allies, saying it had received information that preparations for such an operation were underway, Reuters reported.

The State Department approved visas earlier this week for members of Iran’s delegation, including Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. However, once in Manhattan, the officials will face strict limits on where they can travel and what activities they can undertake.

Under a 1947 agreement governing the United Nations, the United States, as host country, is generally required to facilitate the arrival and movement of foreign representatives traveling to U.N. headquarters—even when those officials come from nations viewed as adversaries.

“While ordinary Iranians endure brutal repression, water and electricity shortages, and soaring inflation, the regime’s officials want to go on shopping sprees in New York. Not on our watch,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott wrote on X.

Wold said Washington’s obligations extend to facilitating the delegation’s diplomatic work, not providing unrestricted access to the city.

“Here, the delegation will be restricted to their accommodation in New York City and the U.N. headquarters there in Manhattan,” Wold said.

He described the policy as a message that Iranian officials could take part in formal U.N. business but would not be free to shop for items such as appliances or vehicles across the New York region.

Wold said the restrictions reflect Washington’s view that some Iranian officials use visits to the U.N. as opportunities to purchase household goods and luxury products, including Rolex watches. This time, he said, they will not be allowed to embark on shopping trips or dine freely at high-end Manhattan restaurants.

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He added that the limits also apply to major retailers such as Sam’s Club, Walmart and Costco. According to Wold, the State Department specifically instructed those membership-based chains not to conduct business with Iranian visitors and to notify officials if such transactions are attempted.

Even with those constraints, Wold said the General Assembly provides the Trump administration with a long-sought platform: a large international audience and an Iranian delegation that will be present and unable to easily leave the U.S. message unanswered. He said Washington can use the setting to explain why it took action against Iran’s government.

Iranian state media reported on Sept. 19 that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said New York offered the delegation “absolutely no charm.”

As reported by Mehr News Agency, Baghaei accused the United States of using every available measure to obstruct Iran’s participation. He maintained that attending the U.N. General Assembly is a legal entitlement for Iran—not a privilege granted by Washington.

Wold went on to criticize the U.N. for hosting state representatives hostile to American interests while raising security concerns.

“It’s going to be one of those things that’s fairly perplexing to most Americans,” Wold said. “How is it that the representatives of what we have long identified as a hostile regime, but now one that we’re actually engaged in combat operations against, one that has killed American service members, why is it that their diplomats get to come to the United Nations and exchange niceties with other kleptocrats or some of their other allies on the international scene?”

Wold also added that the United Nations wants to “lecture us about international climate change or the need to trans children, but the other is happy to sort of serve as a forum for obvious violators of human rights and obvious regimes that are contrary to any number of internationally agreed-upon protocols.”

Amid the hostility between Washington and Tehran, Wold said the gathering could also provide an opening for diplomacy. Trump is also slated to hold bilateral and sideline meetings with leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to discuss regional security and the Strait of Hormuz.

“There’s the hope that there’ll be an opportunity for real discussion,” Wold said of UNGA. “Everyone’s hope, especially from State Department leadership, is that there’ll be an opportunity to have a fulsome, sort of meaningful discussion with the Iranians, freed from some of the theatrics the Iranians have engaged in.

“There’s a hope that there’ll be an opportunity for closed-door private discussions between the United States and Iranians and really try to hammer out some kind of agreement about what a cessation of hostilities will look like.”

Wold expressed confidence in Washington’s posture heading into the summit.

“The president is best equipped for these moments. This is really where he sort of shines as a natural leader,” he said. “He’s not one to bend or to break. It’s a precarious time for President Trump, but I have no doubt at all that he’ll rise to the moment.”

Ed Sheeran says he feels his family and friends have “abandoned” him and that he has discovered “who his friends are” amid the Israel-Palestine controversy threatening his tour.

The 35-year-old British pop star has faced intense backlash after rapper Macklemore was removed from the tour over his outspoken pro-Palestine views.

Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour after US stadium owner Robert Kraft accused him of hate speech during earlier support performances, where the rapper called for a “free Palestine”.

Kraft, who is Jewish, subsequently barred Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium near Boston. The decision intensified the Israel-Palestine dispute and left Sheeran saying he felt “abandoned” by those close to him.

The singer struggled to hold back tears during his show last night as he apologised to fans over his handling of the controversy, which has threatened to derail the tour.

Speaking to fans in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he was unsure whether upcoming dates would proceed amid the backlash and calls for a boycott following the decision to remove Macklemore, whose music has included support for Palestine.

Sheeran said the situation had shown him “who his friends are” and added: “I cannot hide how I feel… any more.”

He acknowledged making “mistakes” in his response and moved away from his earlier promise to keep politics out of his shows. Sheeran described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” while calling Hamas’s October 7 attacks “horrific”.

Appearing on stage for the first time since the Loop Tour descended into turmoil, the 35-year-old father of two said he had never intended to become an activist musician. However, he said the criticism had forced him to “take and make difficult decisions”.

He told the crowd: “I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.

“In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig and I didn’t see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig.

“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.

“I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me. People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this.”

Sheeran said he was heartbroken by the “scale of devastation and loss of lives”. Becoming emotional as the crowd cheered, he added: “I’m so grateful you are here with me tonight.”

He became visibly emotional once again at the end of the performance, apologising for bringing politics into a concert despite previously promising that he would not do so.

At the close of the show, Sheeran said: “The one thing that I would like to apologise for is the first bit of the show where it wasn’t about music and I had to talk.

‘I understand that people have children here and I understand that families didn’t buy a ticket to hear that first bit of the show, but that was something I felt like I needed to say.’

Sheeran had previously said that ‘those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum’.

The gig at the Lincoln Financial Field marked the first time the star returned to the stage since the rapper Macklemore was dropped as his opening act after taking a vocal stance in favour of a ‘Free Palestine’.

In a solemn speech at the start of the concert, Sheeran said: ‘I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity and not division, about humanity and not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.’

‘What happened in Israel at Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

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‘What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,’ Sheeran said in a video captured and shared online by a concertgoer.

‘My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives, and the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked,’ he declared.

Sheeran told the audience that he plans to ‘continue my current tour’ despite each of his openers dropping out in solidarity with Macklemore.

By the end of the show, Sheeran broke down into tears, telling fans: ‘I’m so grateful. The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope. This gives hope.’

The crowd broke out in applause as Sheeran appeared deeply moved.

‘My shows are about this,’ he said. ‘They are about people coming together that don’t know each other, that have different beliefs. They’re about unity. They’re about love. They’re about family.’

As fans cheered, Sheeran vowed that the controversy would not stop him from performing.

‘You’re jumping around like maniacs with each other and having fun,’ he said. ‘And I will never stop doing this. I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much.’

It came after Macklemore said Sheeran had spoken to Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts through his holding company, the Kraft Group.

‘Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,’ he wrote.

On Tuesday, Sheeran released his own statement on Instagram, saying it wasn’t his decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, but rather the promoter’s.

‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,’ the British singer-songwriter added.

Sheeran said in the lengthy statement that he has ‘personal views on this devastating conflict’, but made the choice ‘not to speak publicly’.

He has faced criticism from other artists, including Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who bashed him on social media for not taking a stand against the decision.

Ed Sheeran’s cousin last week branded the pop star a ‘coward’ for dropping pro-Palestine Macklemore.

Jethro Sheeran, who at 44 is nine years older than his cousin, responded to the row by saying he was ‘ashamed’ of his relative.

In a furious post on Facebook, he said: ‘Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed and what he’s done.

‘Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist.’

Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas, pulled out of his scheduled appearances in upcoming tour dates, stating that ‘artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed’.

Tour openers including Aaron Rowe and the band Lukas Graham, along with Sheeran’s long-time backing folk band Beoga, also withdrew from the endeavour.

In his address to fans on Saturday, Sheeran stated: ‘I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.’

He said: ‘I don’t want to disappoint fans and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician. But this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech in the most complex political issue on the planet.’

The pop star continued: ‘Our concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honouring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am and that is why I’m here tonight, on my own, and continuing my own tour.’

He went on to say: ‘I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approved content performance. This happens in so many places that I’ve gone around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.’

Drew Brees wanted Jalen Hurts to be more aggressive.

During Fox’s broadcast of the Eagles’ Week 2 game against the Titans on Sunday, the former Saints star criticized Hurts after the Super Bowl-winning quarterback slid just short of the first-down marker instead of challenging several defenders.

“I was hyping up Jalen Hurts, and now, I’m going to get on him,” Brees said. “Lower your shoulder and go get the first down.”

The play came on third-and-6 in the second quarter. Hurts scrambled and appeared to have an opportunity to fight for the additional yardage, but he instead gave himself up well before the marker, setting up a fourth-and-3.

Brees was clearly unimpressed with the decision.

“They’re going to mark the ball at the start of the slide, not where you end the slide,” Brees said as Fox’s broadcast moved from the replay back to live action.

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He added, “It’s not a 4th and 1, it’s a 4th and 3.”

The criticism stood out given Hurts’ reputation as a dangerous rushing quarterback. Still, he has also faced questions at times over whether his approach is too conservative.

Former Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil raised similar concerns about Hurts’ aggressiveness last season.

“I would say be who you are and not restrict him from running, because defensive line pressure can create good quarterback draws,” Vermeil said of Hurts last season. He later added, “I really believe the more time he touches it, the less man-to-man coverage you get the next time around.”

Hurts ultimately delivered when it mattered most, connecting with receiver Darius Cooper in the final seconds to complete a 24-20 comeback victory over the underdog Titans.

He finished the game 26 of 37 passing for 264 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Hurts also ran for 16 yards on five carries as Philadelphia secured its first road win of the season and improved to 2-0.

A Democratic lawmaker is seeking answers after alleging that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a person during an operation Sunday morning in Austin, Texas.

Austin officials said they will discuss what the city called an “Immigration and Customs Enforcement shooting” at a 4 p.m. news conference Sunday at Austin City Hall. Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz are expected to provide updates on the incident.

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to FOX 7 Austin that ICE was conducting an investigation in the 7000 block of West Anderson Lane. However, the agency did not confirm whether anyone had been shot or injured.

“ICE investigation confirmed in the 7000 block of West Anderson, ICE is handling investigation,” a DPS public information officer told the outlet.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, said on X that “ICE has shot a person in Austin this morning.” He urged officials to launch a thorough independent investigation and release body-camera video without delay.

“Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened,” Casar wrote. “We will demand truth, transparency and accountability.”

Officials have not provided additional details about the reported shooting.

The Austin incident unfolded as federal immigration enforcement operations continue to fuel political debate and public tensions nationwide.

Protests also turned confrontational outside New Jersey’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center in May, after demonstrators refused a state police order to move to an assigned protest zone. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka later condemned the methods used by state troopers deployed to protect the facility, which had become a regular site of demonstrations.

Federal immigration actions faced further national scrutiny in Minnesota after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Authorities said an ICE agent killed Good in early January after she attempted to drive her vehicle into federal officers. Pretti was fatally shot by agents on Jan. 24 while he was recording federal officers, according to reports.

The Austin Police Department directed News Media to ICE for additional information.

News Media contacted ICE and the Texas Department of Public Safety seeking further details and comment.