Honoring Late Paul Walker, Vin Diesel Walked His Daughter Down The Aisle

Mar 21, 2022

Vin Diesel was born Mark Sinclair on July 18, 1967, in Alameda County, California. He later moved to New York City with his fraternal twin brother. Diesel's mother is an astrologer and the star never met his biological father. He has been acting since childhood and first appeared in a play at the Theater for the New City when he was seven.

Today, Diesel is one of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors and is a leading force behind the mega-popular "Fast and Furious" franchise. He plays the character Dominic Toretto but is also heavily involved behind the scenes as a producer as well. 

Diesel has been working in Hollywood since 1990 but first gained attention in 1995 when he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the short film "Multi-Facial." This drew in director Steven Spielberg who created a supporting role for Diesel in his 1998 film "Saving Private Ryan." The following year, the actor voiced the main character in "The Iron Giant."

Solidifying himself as an action star with the films "XXX," "The Chronicles of Riddick," and the "Fast and Furious" movies, Diesel has also found success with other genres. He starred in the family comedy "The Pacifier" in 2005 and the comedy-drama "Find Me Guilty." Diesel also plays the character Groot in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise. 

In 2013, Diesel lost his close friend and co-star, Paul Walker, in a car accident. His death was sudden and untimely and shook millions to their core. Most affected was Walker's daughter, Meadow, who was still a teenager at the time. Diesel has since stepped up as Meadow's godfather. Read on to learn more.

The eighth installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise was the first to be released since Walker's passing. The experience of making the movie without his close friend was hard for Diesel. "There wasn't a day, there wasn't a scene, there wasn't a second where I didn't have Paul with me in the making of this movie," he shared with People in 2017. "It's not making the movie without Paul, it's, 'What's life like? What's living like without Paul?'"

The star also opened up about visiting Walker's mom after he passed away. Diesel said, "The day after the tragedy, for me to fly from Atlanta that night and to show up at his mother's house and for me to say to his mother, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' and for his mother to say to me 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry' — I said, 'Why? Why are you saying sorry to me?' And she said, 'Because you lost your other half.'"

Thinking of Walker as his other half was novel to Diesel, but he agreed wholeheartedly. "She was telling me something I wasn't even aware of. I wasn't aware of how profound the loss was," he added. "You don't think about it while you're living, and we're probably all a little guilty of not telling people how much we love them while they're here."

Walker lives on in the lives of his daughter and everyone who loved him. Diesel paid homage to his lost friend when he named his second daughter Pauline. Losing someone so close to him was a wake-up call for the actor, and his family as well. Diesel shared, "His mom told my mom, 'Love your child, just love your child.'"

Meadow, Walker's 19-year-old daughter, has often paid tribute to her late father. In 2015, she launched the Paul Walker Foundation in order to share a part of him that meant a lot to her, as she stated in an Instagram photo in 2015 that showed her as a child with Walker by her side. She said she wished to start the foundation because it was her way to share the type of person he was with the world. She then launched The Paul Walker Foundation on his birthday.

On her Instagram, Meadow posted:

"Reflecting on my father, I found myself reflecting on his passions. His passion for the ocean, his passion for rescuing animals, his passion for helping people, and his passion for spontaneous goodwill. I wanted to start this foundation because I want to share that piece of him with the world. I want to share that part of him with others. I am tremendously proud to be launching The #PaulWalkerFoundation (@paulwalkerfdn) on his birthday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my father."

In October 2021, Meadow married Louis Thornton-Allan in a private ceremony. It was without a doubt an emotional day for everyone, but fortunately, Diesel was there to escort Meadow down the aisle.

Meadow was very close to her dad and even lived with Walker at the time of his passing. The actor spoke about being close with his daughter less than a year before he died. Walker said, "My daughter lives with me full time now and she's the best partner I've ever had. It's so nuts. I've never had anything like this in my life."

What do you think about Diesel stepping up to help take care of Meadow? Would you do this for a friend's child? Let us know and feel free to pass this along to your friends and family.