What happened to 'Walker, Texas Ranger' star Chuck Norris, who dies at 86?

The legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris died suddenly on Thursday, March 19, 2026, just days after celebrating his 86th birthday.

Norris’s family issued a statement on his official Instagram on March 20, describing his death as “sudden passing.”

The statement reads, “While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace.”

It continued, “We know many of you had heard about his recent hospitalization, and we are truly grateful for the prayers and support you sent his way. As we grieve this loss, we kindly ask for privacy for our family during this time.”

What actually happened to Norris?

Although no official cause of his death has been made public, according to an online portal TMZ, Norris was hospitalized in Hawaii after he experienced a health emergency days before his death.

The outlet added that Norris’s death appeared sudden referring to a source who had spoken with Norris on Wednesday, March 18, and said, “He had been working out and in an upbeat, jovial mood.”

Norris rose to fame after appearing opposite Bruce Lee in the 1972 film The Way of the Dragon, and there after he didn’t look back becoming the most dominant action star in the 1980s.

He later appeared in the long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger and became an internet sensation in the early millennium via viral “Chuck Norris facts” memes that stormed the internet.