Vin Diesel shared a heartfelt birthday message on Instagram this week for Meadow Walker, the daughter of his late friend and former Fast & Furious co-star Paul Walker.
The 59-year-old actor posted a candid black-and-white photograph of himself with Meadow, who turned 28 on November 4, alongside an emotional tribute.
“Proud of you beyond words… Happy Birthday angel… May you continue to bring light to this world,” Diesel wrote. The post had received more than 774,000 likes.
Meadow, who considers Diesel her godfather, responded with a single red heart emoji.
The birthday tribute comes nearly 13 years after Paul Walker died in a car crash on November 30, 2013. He was 40.
Since her father’s death, Meadow has remained close to Diesel, who was Walker’s longtime friend and Fast & Furious castmate. She also appeared alongside Diesel in 2023’s Fast X.
Vin Diesel shared an Instagram tribute celebrating his late friend Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow on her birthday
Meadow, pictured in Cannes, France, in May, celebrated her 28th birthday on November 4
Meadow’s mother is Rebecca Soteros, who dated Walker in the late 1990s.
Over the years, Diesel has spoken openly about the bond he shares with Meadow.
In a 2021 interview with Extra, the actor said he felt “very protective” of Walker’s daughter.
“She takes good care of me,” he said. “She’s the first person on Father’s Day to wish me Happy Father’s Day.”
He added, “To see her with my children is one of the most beautiful things.”
Diesel also walked Meadow down the aisle when she married Louis Thornton-Allan in 2021.
The couple separated in 2024, and their divorce was finalized later that year.
Meadow remembered her father last November, marking 12 years since his death.
She shared childhood photographs of herself with Walker on Instagram, writing: “12 years without you… I love you forever.”
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“Proud of you beyond words… Happy Birthday angel… May you continue to bring light to this world,” Diesel wrote in a post that received more than 774,000 likes (Source: Vin Diesel Instagram)
The 59-year-old actor paired a candid black-and-white image of himself with Meadow with a touching birthday message (Source: Vin Diesel Instagram)
Meadow has stayed close to Diesel, her father’s friend and former Fast & Furious co-star; pictured together in 2001
Paul Walker and his daughter Meadow pictured during one of her childhood birthdays
Diesel has also joined Meadow in publicly honoring his longtime friend.
“The universe keeps placing angels in my path. I know you are a part of it… a brotherhood eternal. Love you forever…” he wrote alongside a photograph of himself and Walker on set.
On Father’s Day in 2025, Meadow posted a photo of herself with her father, calling him her “guardian angel.”
“Thank you for your love, guidance, and for truly being the most incredible dad and my best friend,” she wrote. “I miss you every day, my sunshine. I love you.”
That September, on what would have been Walker’s 52nd birthday, Meadow shared a black-and-white photograph of herself sitting on her father’s lap outdoors.
“Happy birthday daddy. I love you endlessly and miss you every day,” she captioned the image.
Last year, Diesel sparked excitement and debate among fans when he suggested that Walker’s character could appear in the final Fast & Furious movie.
He made the announcement during an appearance at Fuel Fest in Pomona, California, while outlining three conditions he had given Universal Pictures for the franchise’s conclusion.
“The studio said to me, ‘Vin, can we please have the finale of Fast and Furious April 2027?’” Diesel said, confirming the planned release date.
He continued, “I said, ‘Under three conditions: First, is to bring the franchise back to L.A.! The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing!’”
Referring to his character Dom Toretto and Walker’s Brian O’Conner, Diesel added, “The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O’Conner.”
Diesel did not explain how Walker’s character might return. Any appearance would likely involve Walker’s brothers, Cody and Caleb, who served as stand-ins during production of 2015’s Furious 7, with digital effects used to recreate the actor’s face.
