Tony Scott told he had inoperable brain cancer before suicide

The Top Gun director leapt to his death from a bridge in Los Angeles on Sunday, shocking Tinseltown and sparking widespread speculation as to why the successful filmmaker would take his own life.

Yesterday, influential US blog Gawker reported that a source close to Scott had made the brain cancer claim.

But gossip website TMZ has rubbished the brain cancer theory, reporting that Scott's wife told investigators that the claim was "absolutely false".

In addition, TMZ has claimed that Scott left a suicide note in his office that explained why he had taken his own life.

The director also left a note in his car that contained a 'contact list' of people that Scott wanted to have notified about his death, TMZ added.

An autopsy was being conducted on Scott's body yesterday afternoon. There is no official word on the results as yet.

The British-born filmmaker and brother of fellow director Ridley Scott recently produced Alien prequel Prometheus and is responsible for hit movies including Man On Fire with Denzel Washington, True Romance, Enemy Of The State and Days Of Thunder.

He was attached to a number of projects currently in production or post-production, and had reportedly signed on to produce a Prometheus sequel.

Yesterday, shocked tourists told TMZ that Scott's body had hit the water close to where their boat had been cruising Los Angeles bay.

Image: Getty