A brotherhood that can never be replaced. Vin Diesel has opened up about Paul Walker once again via Facebook since the late actor’s death in Valencia, Calif., on Nov. 30. This time, the Fast and the Furious star revealed that he jumped on a plane to be with Walker’s family — including his father Paul Walker III and mother Cheryl Walker — when he heard of the tragic news.
“When I heard, I immediately flew back to California, and went directly from the plane to his mother’s house,” the 46-year-old actor wrote on his Facebook page on Friday, Dec. 6. “I thought they needed my strength, but realized when I got there and broke down before his family, that it was I who needed theirs.”
“His mother hugged me and said I am so sorry…I said sorry? You’re the mother who lost a son?” he continued. “She said yes, but you lost your other half…” Alongside the heartbreaking comment, Diesel also posted a picture of himself smiling big with his “other half” at a previous Hollywood event.
A chorus of whirring engines paid tribute to the late Paul Walker Sunday as thousands gathered at the Santa Clarita, Calif., crash site where the actor died last Saturday.
Many mourners arrived in high-performance vehicles, a nod to Walker’s star turn in The Fast and the Furious franchise, as well as his personal love of cars. Several vehicles Walker drove in the movies were on display in a church parking lot near the crash site, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Walker died alongside friend Roger Rodas after the Porsche Carrera GT Rodas was driving careened into a light pole and tree, then burst into flames. An autopsy confirmed Walker, 40, died of “traumatic and thermal injuries.” Authorities say speed played a role in the crash.
His death has a profound impact on his many fans, as well as costars including Vin Diesel, who called the actor his “brother.”
Sunday’s memorial was expected to end with a cruise through the Santa Clarita suburb where Walker was holding a fundraiser for his charity, Reach Out Worldwide, the day he died, per the Associated Press.
Fans of Paul Walker watch motorcycles particapate in a rally as they arrive at the memorial to the ‘Fast and Furious’ star, where a memorial rally and car cruise was organized to remember the actor, on December 8, 2013 in Santa Clarita, California, near the site of the fiery car crash in which Walker and friend Richard Rodas died on November 30.
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Home > Tributes & Memorials > Official Tribute & Memorial Photos > Memorial Rally & Car Cruise
It doesn’t surprise me that Paul would do something like this… he truly was an angel on earth, inside and out.
Almost 10 years later, Kyle and Kristen Upham are still bowled over by Paul Walker’s unbelievable generosity – after he changed their lives with a single gesture.
The couple were shopping for an engagement ring in a Santa Barbara, Calif., jewelry store in 2004, when Walker overheard them talking about a gorgeous ring – one they couldn’t afford, reports CBS Los Angeles.
Walker bought the $9,000 ring for them, then slipped away without a word.
“It’s still to this day the most generous thing anyone has ever done for me,” Kristen says today.
They were never 100 percent sure it was Walker, though they had chatted with him in the store. This week, after Walker’s tragic death in a car wreck, their suspicions were confirmed after a clerk at the jewelry store spoke up.
“To do something like that to a perfect stranger is just unbelievable,” the clerk, Irene King, says.
Kyle Upham was preparing for a second tour in Iraq at the time. “When [Walker] found out Kyle just came back from Iraq – I remember seeing the look in his face,” Kristen says. “He kind of transformed.”
“When we hand down the ring through the generations, there will always be a story to tell,” Kyle says.
Adds Kristen: “His real life speaks volumes of his character. He really did put his money where his mouth is, and did good for this world.”
I have deleted the previous post about Meadow Walker posting about her father’s death on Facebook. It has been confirmed that Meadow does not currently have any public profiles and she is not active on any social media. She also was not at the charity event that Paul was attending at the time of the accident — thank God for that. Here’s what Team PW posted on Paul’s Facebook page earlier today:
It is unfortunate that claims are being made to the media that Paul’s daughter Meadow was at the event on Saturday when the accident occurred. We want to clarify that Paul went to the event alone. Meadow was not at the charity event on Saturday and thankfully, did not witness the accident. Any claims stating otherwise are inaccurate.
Sadly, there’s also numerous people creating fake social media profiles claiming to be Meadow. We would like everyone to know that Meadow does not currently have any public profiles and is not currently active on social media. We ask that her privacy be respected at this time.
Let us please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time and please remember these fake accounts are indeed fake accounts. It is incredibly sad that people are creating them in the first place, let’s spread the word about these disrespectful people.