Actor Richard Norton died after cardiac arrest linked to peptide use

Australian actor and stunt performer Richard Norton was photographed in good health just days before his death, posing with martial arts instructor Kacey Chong in a white karate outfit during a training session in March 2025. The image was posted on Instagram on March 19, 2025, with Chong noting the picture was taken “over the weekend.”

Norton died in Melbourne on March 30, 2025, after suffering a cardiac arrest that a coroner’s report links to an anaphylactic reaction caused by the injection of two unapproved peptides, CJC-1295 and ipamorelin, prescribed by Dr. Jerzy Muchnicki. The report states Norton had been experiencing fatigue, reduced recovery, muscle loss and shoulder pain, and had been taking the peptides under medical supervision.

According to the report, Norton told a nurse on March 28 that he was taking double the prescribed dose. Hours later he reported feeling hot and flushed before becoming unresponsive and was taken to hospital, where he died.

"Awesome to catch up and have a good chat with Soke Richard Norton at the BJMA State Training Day," wrote Chong in the Instagram caption accompanying the photo.

The coroner, David Ryan, has urged the Therapeutic Goods Administration to review the safety and benefits of peptide treatments. Norton’s wife, Judy, announced his death in an Instagram statement expressing her grief.