The man who Carrot Top's legal team claims tried to extort the comedian with a sexually explicit recording is speaking out ... and he claims he never threatened to release the video ahead of his suicide attempt.

In response to the Sept. 3 filing ... Brian Evans tells TMZ ... that the USB drive recording the lawsuit mentions had already been deleted.

He tells TMZ ... "I never threatened - ever - to post any video anywhere in exchange for a settlement. … The video they are discussing - as I made very clear - was deleted a long time ago in accordance with the prior settlement."

Brian said of the situation with Carrot Top -- whose real name is Scott Thompson -- that he was "sorry that Scott apparently did something to hurt himself."

He added ... "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."

He went on to say ... "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."

We reported earlier ... the 61-year-old's attorney claims Brian said he would enter the alleged recording into a court's legal docket ... unless CT's legal team forked over $500,000 in a settlement payment.

As for Carrot Top ... the prop-based comedian remains hospitalized following his suicide attempt Friday.

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