Fans and celebrities alike are pulling out all the stops to pay tribute to beloved actor Chuck Norris after his heartbreaking death. One of those who took to social media to pay tribute was author Stephen King. The path King chose was one that Norris surely would have loved.
After learning of Norris’ death, King took to the social media site X, formerly Twitter, to acknowledge the loss. In the first of several tweets, King went with a joke about Norris.
“My fave Chuck Norris joke: Chuck doesn’t flush the toilet, he scares the s**t out of it,” King wrote.
King’s choice of what to post would probably seem strange to many. However, fans who loved Norris also likely knew he loved the ongoing string of jokes, initially dubbed “Chuck Norris Facts” that had become a definite “thing” over the years
In March, ESPN explained the joke. Apparently, it began in 2005 when a high school senior got creative with a website he had. He took an idea he found on the Something Awful forum and made it his own.
One thread he found was titled “Facts about Vin Diesel,” and was really a thread of jokes that were “half-homage, half-goof” on the actor. The teen took the concept and ran with it, starting with Diesel and then asking for suggestions.
Somehow, Norris became the top suggestion.
Memes were just starting to take hold across the Internet, and soon, “Chuck Norris Facts” was pulling in tens of millions of website visits a month.
Eventually, the website led to an in-person meeting with Norris, and later, a book and a lawsuit. Ultimately, Norris, somewhat reluctantly, at first, embraced the trend and came to appreciate how it increased his star power.
In August 2023, Norris posted about the trend on his Facebook page. He wrote, “I get asked a lot if I like the ‘Chuck Norris Facts’ that circulate. The answer is yes… my wife Gena and I really enjoy them.”
Now, more than 20 years later, the Norris jokes have taken on a life of their own. After King shared one on X, he followed up with another.
“Second fave: When he was born, Chuck Norris drove his mother home from the hospital,” King tweeted.
Then, he posted a more sincere tribute to the iconic actor. “Seriously, I thought he was great. SILENT RAGE scared [the] hell out of my boys…and me.”
Silent Rage was a movie starring Norris that was released in 1982.
Norris played a sheriff who “tries to stop the killing spree of a silent maniacal murderer who, as the result of secret genetic experimentation by an unethical scientist, has the ability to self-heal,” the movie synopsis on IMDb describes.
When King, the author known for his horror stories, admits he was scared by a movie Norris starred in, that seems like a very special tribute indeed.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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