Apparently when Top Gun director Tony Scott jumped off the bridge in full view of lots of people, it might not have been a suicide. The coroner has refused to rule his death a suicide and is deferring the cause of death until after the toxicology report is returned. Apparently Tony's suicide note had not motive listed and he had no incurable diseases. So, if the toxicology report comes back negative do they think he was pushed? Ordered to jump? Could he not handle working on Top Gun 2 any longer? Does there need to be a specific reason for a suicide? Will this be its very own movie?
That's just CYA red tape. There's no way it wasn't a suicide.
ReplyDeleteGotta wonder what's with the coroner. If a Dr. told him he an inoperable tumor and then the autopsy finds otherwise that would be quite tragic indeed! As far as it was reported there certainly did not appear to be anyone pushing him over or pointing a gun at him. Curious indeed.
ReplyDeleteagree with Brenda, just a formality
ReplyDeleteI don't get how this could be classified as anything BUT a suicide! The man jumped off a bridge! And it was caught on video! This confuses me. I also read that Sage Stallone's death was due to a heart attack, not drugs. Can you get a second opinion on an autopsy?!
ReplyDeleteOh, the bridge pushed him off? Well, I suppose all the videos might come in handy after all. Is this some sort of weird machination for insurance purposes?
ReplyDeleteI think that Sage Stallone's death probably was a heart attack, but generally when someone dies of a heart attack surrounded by pounds of pills, it's safe to say they didn't die of overexertion due to elite athleticism.
I forget which website, but I read he had severely blocked arteries in line with coronary disease. I'm sure the drugs didn't help, especially if his heart was being forced to pump harder than it was capable of.
Delete"I think that Sage Stallone's death probably was a heart attack, but generally when someone dies of a heart attack surrounded by pounds of pills, it's safe to say they didn't die of overexertion due to elite athleticism."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I am sure this heart attack, period, verdict was ruled not to grief Sylvester Stallone and his family any further.
AlexT- the autopsy on Sage Stallone found a slight trace of vicodin. Nothing else. The pill bottles were props for a movie he was doing. He wasn't a junkie or an alcoholic.
ReplyDeletePlus, he was diagnosed at 10 with a heart murmur. Sedentary lifestyles lead to heart disease.
ReplyDeleteseems like drug abuse can often end up causing heart attacks at young ages. But Tony Scott not being a suicide? Please, he did this, no-one pushed him. He parked his car on a bridge and jumped. It's a terrible end to anyones life but that's what happened and I don't think it decreases his value as an artist or human being. It is what it is.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing just makes me so sad. I really feel for his family. Death is always difficult, but with all the added publicity everywhere and tacky ass ppl shopping death videos.....this must be so insanely hard for them. :(
ReplyDeleteEven if it wasn't drugs, you have to lead a pretty unhealthy lifestyle to die of heart disease at 36. That's some serious sitting around and french fry-eatin'.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a formality too. I feel sad for his family they might never know if there was something they could've done to stop him.
ReplyDeleteAlex - could have been a birth defect he was born with? :(
ReplyDeleteas far as Tony Scott - so interesting that the coroner would think anything other than suicide. however, as we know from Enty ... Hollywood is a wicked, wicked place. who knows what was going on.
I have no idea how incestuous Los Angeles really is but if it's anything like D.C., the first thing that jumps to mind is the production company's insurance and someone calling in a favor -- even temporary, until maybe the end of the calendar year and start of next tax year -- from the coroner's office.
ReplyDeleteYeah, not so much
DeleteHeart murmurs generally aren't that dangerous, practically speaking. My spouse has one. You generally have to not eat like Paula Deen, stay in reasonable physical fitness, watch your blood pressure, and for a heart murmur you have to take antibiotics before you go to the dentist.
ReplyDeleteAnd you generally have to watch out that you don't do things that super-max your exertion levels. Winning the Tour de France or Ironman triathalons might not be in the cards.
People aren't generally incapacitated unless their heart problems are serious, and it would strike me as strange that Sly would let his kid walk around with a serious, untreated heart condition, knowwhatImean.
Just from my limited time working in a certain gov't office, suicides are not ruled suicides if the coroner determined that something else preceded how that person was killed by other means (gunshot wounds, frostbite, drowning, etc.). For instance, if someone suffers a heart attack before they drowned, the heart attack is listed as the reason, not the suicide.
ReplyDeleteI don't L.A.'s jurisdiction, but I wouldn't be surprised if "natural causes" or some heart condition occurred before drowning, and thus suicide cannot be ruled definitively.
@jp - thanks for that. Was wondering what the protocol was for this situation.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he Tony Scott was in drug induced psychosis and jumped?
ReplyDelete(This is not to say it's impossible to qualify for a heart attack from poor diet and exercise at his age. One of my former classmates had one at 38. Eat a salad, people!)
ReplyDeleteI suppose it can't hurt for the toxicology report to come back before setting anything in stone. It would be really nuts to find out if this guy was taking something like Ambien.
What is with the rash of suicides, though? I was kind of surprised not to see a mention of Gerber's drive off the cliff.
@Alex - Gerber, as in married to Cindy Crawford Gerber?
ReplyDeleteI was born with a heart murmur and I'm not the height of athleticism either, couple that with many years of substance abuse and I've made it to 52. Something still seems very odd in the Stallone case. And, if he was a bit of a recluse, why would you have "props" in your personal space? That makes zero sense to me.
ReplyDeleteMy SO had a heart attack at 42, and was not on drugs, so I don't have a hard time believing Sage Stallone's COD. A co-worker had one at 32 due to a previously unknown congenital condition. As weird as it sounds, these things do happen, even to drug dealers. Allegedly!
ReplyDeleteBrian Gerber, a documentary producer. He drove off a cliff a few days ago. Enty mentioned it on FB but not on the blog.
ReplyDeleteIdk for sure, but maybe the life ins's wouldn't be paid out if the person committed suicide. And if that's true, we know how Hollyweird and (the rest of the rich live), greasing palms for things to work out their way. If you dig.
ReplyDeleteI'd be curious to find out if in fact a doctor told him he had incurable brain cancer. Talk about lawsuit if he committed suicide under that belief only to have the family learn it wasn't true.
ReplyDeleteFor an "attorney" you sure do lack fundamental knowledge of te law. This is law 101. They don't rule suicide until after toxicology reports.
ReplyDeleteHe could have had an undiagosed mental illness, like chronic depression or bipolar disorder.
ReplyDeleteEven something as simple as hypoglycemia can cause irrational thinking. What a tragedy.
Looks like a call to John Edward is in order.
Agree with Alex X2
ReplyDeleteI have a RBBB and it's pretty innocuous in and of itself- I think close to 15% of the population can have this?
I was encouraged to continue running half marathons and still do.
That said, my husband's cousin had a mild heart attack before the age of 30, 28? I think. He thought it was chest pain from the gym and only went to get checked out on the advice of his mother (a nurse.)
I think sometimes people aren't aware of pre existing conditions and others don't take them into account with their lifestyle.
My ex had 2 heart attacks before 40. He is in great physical shape. Genetic coronary artery disease is the cause.
ReplyDeleteOr he was taking a medication that suicide is known side effect.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be so sure it was a suicide.
ReplyDeleteIt's not like the only two options are Suicide vs murder, don't be so dramatic.
It's entirely possible he was drunk out of his mind and will get listed as "Death by Misadventure," or "Accidental death".
Something similar happened up here in Toronto - Woman jumped on the subway tracks, turns out she drugged out of her mind. Death by misadventure.
Xenu knows! Or maybe he was on an Ambien trip?
ReplyDeleteDonna, now that you mention it, the last person he was professionally with was from Co$. Hummm.
ReplyDeletePeople don't always choose to share their pain with others through a detailed explanatory note. The coroner may be taking his or her time, but that does not imply that this is anything other than an open-and-shut case of a man who chose to take his life.
ReplyDeleteA 'stuntman' jumped off the bridge.
ReplyDeleteSwam to safety.
Tony Scott was murdered and dumped in the water nearby.
That's why it's not a suicide yet.
Really?
ReplyDeleteThe coroner has refused to rule his death a suicide and is deferring the cause of death until after the toxicology report is returned. Apparently Tony's suicide note had not motive listed and he had no incurable diseases. So, if the toxicology report comes back negative do they think he was pushed?
Wouldn’t the key work here be SUICIDE NOTE?? He left a note for Pete’s Sake..
I blame to Scientologists!
ReplyDelete@Agent:
ReplyDeleteI know! I made a very crass comment about TS and TC back then but deleted it.
I feel really bad for TS's wife and kids. This weirdness just makes it worse.
I was hanging w friends last night and Scientology came up. They were all like, "Why do you know all this??" I just said, "Internet." hah
ReplyDeleteWhere 's Shelly??
ReplyDeleteIt is actually common apparently for coroners to not rule suicide right away. My brother killed himself less than 6 months ago by shooting himself in the head with a sawed off shotgun. He didn't leave a note. He was incredibly drunk but nothing oit of the ordinary because of his alcoholism. He had liver cancer but didn't tell anyone or want treatment. The coroner ruled it accidental due to the high level of alcohol.
ReplyDeleteMy inner insurance agent feels the need to post regarding life insurance...
ReplyDeleteMost policies carry an exclusion for suicide; however, most policies also carry a double indemnity clause for "accidental" deaths.
If you JUMPED off a bridge, your policy pays zilch. If you FELL off a bridge, or if it can be proven the reason you went over was not of your own choice or negligence, your policy will pay DOUBLE its face value.
Years and years ago, we studied a case of two sisters in NY who were selling life insurance policies, getting themselves listed as a beneficiary, then using a hired man to stage accidental deaths for their clients. Arsenic poisoning was the popular COD, along with "falling" in front of the subway. They collected over $2mil before they were busted.
/end insurance rambling
PS - Definitely not saying that's the reason for Tony's death, just throwing in what I know about life insurance. If the coroner finds something other than suicide, it would be in the best interest of Tony's family, obviously.
ReplyDelete