Richard Norton, the Australian actor and martial artist whose credits included "Mad Max: Fury Road," died after an injection of unapproved peptides triggered a severe allergic reaction, an Australian coroner has found.
Norton, 75, died March 30, 2025, at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital. In findings dated Oct. 28, Coroner David Ryan concluded that an injection of CJC1295/ipamorelin caused anaphylaxis, leading to cardiac arrest.
The report also identified asthma and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease, as contributing factors in his death.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease that thickens the heart muscle and can interfere with its ability to pump blood, according to the Mayo Clinic. Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening
allergic reaction that can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and narrow the airways, making breathing difficult.
What happened before Richard Norton's death?
Norton had sought treatment for symptoms including fatigue, shoulder pain and muscle loss, according to the coroner's report. His doctor discussed the experimental nature of the treatment and its potential risks, and Norton signed a consent form acknowledging that anaphylaxis was among the possible risks of CJC1295/ipamorelin.
On March 28, 2025, Norton told a nurse he had been injecting twice his prescribed dose. That evening, he felt hot and flushed after another injection before collapsing. His wife began CPR, and paramedics transported him to the hospital, according to the report.
Coroner David Ryan recommended that Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration review the peptides' potential benefits and risks and consider tighter restrictions, including limiting their use to clinical trials or other experimental settings.
What was Richard Norton known for?
Norton's career spanned acting, stunt work and fight choreography, with contributions to more than 80 films, according to ABC.
He appeared opposite Chuck Norris in 1980's "The Octagon" and later worked as a fight coordinator on "Walker, Texas Ranger," also appearing in several episodes.
Norton played the Prime Imperator in 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road" and trained Charlize Theron for the film. He also worked with Margot Robbie and Will Smith on 2016's "Suicide Squad."
Following Norton's death, Norris paid tribute to his longtime friend in a March 30, 2025, Instagram post. "Richard, you made me not only a better martial artist but a better person," Norris wrote, calling Norton his "dear friend and brother."
Norris died nearly a year later, on March 19, 2026.
Norton's wife, Judy Green, mourned him in a message shared on his Instagram account. "I am numb and devastated, I have no words I have lost my everything," she wrote. Describing Norton as the love of her life, she added, "I'm using this time to come to terms with my great loss."
The findings come as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves to broaden access to certain unapproved peptides.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Mad Max' actor Richard Norton died after peptide injection, coroner finds
