Meadow Walker has reunited with her godfather Vin Diesel at the 25th anniversary screening of The Fast And The Furious in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old star, who is the only child of the late Paul Walker, embraced Diesel as they arrived at the Westwood Village Theater on Monday.
The special event brought together cast members of the action franchise to mark 25 years since the original film debuted in theaters. Posing on the red carpet, Meadow waved to fans awaiting nearby as she stepped out alongside her godfather.
Diesel and the late Paul Walker first met and developed a close friendship after working together on the 2001 film. Walker tragically died at age 40 in a car accident on November 30, 2013, in Santa Clarita, California, along with his friend Roger Rodas.
During their arrival on the red carpet, Meadow and Diesel flashed big smiles before pausing for a brief photo session. They were subsequently joined during the festivities by co-stars Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster.
Meadow wore a fitted white tank top paired with Bottega Veneta trousers featuring feathery details. The model completed her look with open-toed white pumps and pulled back her locks into a sleek updo.
Diesel opted for a printed black tank top, black trousers, and black shoes. The actor finished his ensemble with a pair of dark sunglasses.
Brewster wrapped her arm around Meadow as the group posed for photographers. Brewster wore a black dress with sheer lace details and a corset bodice.
Elsewhere during the screening event, Meadow was seen signing a poster of her late father on the red carpet.
Screening Presentation and Emotional Remarks
The 25th anniversary screening in Los Angeles took place at the Westwood Village Theater, the same venue that hosted the first movie's premiere in 2001.
Later in the evening, Diesel and his fellow co-stars helped introduce the 2001 film to the audience in attendance.
Diesel became emotional as he reflected on the franchise and his friendship with Walker while addressing the crowd of fans.
"Twenty-five years ago, I was sitting in this room, and I was sitting with Paul Walker," Diesel said while holding back tears, according to Page Six. "So watch this movie, and see where this eternal brotherhood started in every frame."
The Daily Mail reached out to representatives for Walker and Diesel for comment, but has yet to hear back.
Franchise Timeline and Upcoming Finale
The original movie premiered in 2001, launching a long-running film series that was followed by 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003. The third installment, The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, hit theaters three years later in 2006.
A fourth entry titled Fast & Furious was released in 2009, followed by Fast Five in 2011 and Fast & Furious 6 in 2013.
At the time of his tragic death, Walker had not finished filming Furious 7. His brothers acted as stand-ins to help complete the movie, which was subsequently released posthumously in 2015.
The franchise continued with The Fate Of The Furious in 2017, the spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw in 2019, F9 in 2021, and Fast X in 2023.
The final installment in the franchise, titled Fast Forever, is set to be released in theaters on March 17, 2028.
Diesel discussed the upcoming finale at Monday's event, revealing details about the production schedule and script development.
"We start shooting in December, if I can make good on the request from the studio," Diesel told Variety at the screening. "I'm in a good place, though. I had to go through four sets of writers, four years of development, to get to something that I felt would be worthy of a finale."
The actor also admitted to the outlet that he became emotional when reading the screenplay a couple of weeks ago, stating that he cried upon reading it.
Cannes Festival Event and Family Relationship
The Los Angeles reunion follows a similar appearance in May, when Meadow and Diesel were seen hugging on the red carpet during a 25th anniversary screening of The Fast And The Furious at the Cannes Film Festival.
"This is a film where brotherhood is introduced by myself and my brother Pablo," Diesel said at the Cannes event, referring to the late Walker, according to People. "And the person that was not going to let me come alone here, they represent that brotherhood, was Meadow Walker. I'm going to go and shed a tear real quick."
Diesel also told the crowd at the Cannes event that Walker's daughter called the cast a source of strength, before adding that her late father would be so proud of his daughter.
Diesel has previously opened up about his close relationship with Meadow over the years. Speaking in an interview with Extra, the actor revealed that he feels very protective of Walker's daughter.
"She takes good care of me," Diesel explained during the Extra interview. "She's the first person on Father's Day to wish me Happy Father's Day. To see her with my children is one of the most beautiful things."
"There are moments when I see her playing with Pauline and it hits me so deep because I can only imagine what my brother is seeing when he sees that," the actor added.
Along with being Meadow's godfather, Diesel walked her down the aisle when she tied the knot with Louis Thornton-Allan in 2021. However, the pair split in 2024, and their divorce was finalized later that same year.
Meadow paid tribute to her late father last year in November, marking 12 years after his tragic passing. She uploaded photos to Instagram of herself as a child with Walker and wrote in the caption: "12 years without you... I love you forever."
