Paul Walker’s friend and co-star Vin Diesel took to Instagram to wish Walker’s daughter, Meadow Walker, a happy 21st birthday this week, nearly six years after Paul Walker‘s death. The Fast & Furious actor shared a photo of Meadow smiling and wrote in the caption how proud he is of her.
“I could say that I am so proud of the person you are becoming… but the truth is I have always been proud of you. Happy Birthday Meadow!” Diesel wrote. “I know it’s your 21st and you wanted to go big in Japan, but the family has a cake waiting for you when you get home, so hurry. Love you kid. Uncle Vin.”
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Many of Diesel’s 58.2 million Instagram followers took to the comments section to gush over Meadow and the sweet birthday post, with Meadow herself chiming in to thank her “Uncle Vin.”
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“Thank you so much,” Meadow wrote. “I can’t wait to see you soon. And my little angels. Love you.”
“So lovely,” one Instagram user wrote.
“So sweet,” another said.
“Queen,” one said.
Others wished Meadow a happy birthday.
Meadow has developed a special bond with Diesel’s family in the aftermath of her father’s death. In fact, the actor named his 4-year-old daughter Pauline after Walker, and Meadow frequently spends time with his daughters.
In September, Diesel and other stars from the Fast & Furious franchise honored Walker on what would have been his 46th birthday. Tyrese Gibson penned a letter to his co-star, writing that his “mind was blown from how tall, beautiful [and] how strong” Meadow looked after recently spending time with her.
Fast & Furious star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson also shared a tribute to Walker this year on his birthday, made even more significant by the fact that another of his friends, Kevin Hart, was involved in a serious car crash just weeks earlier.
“I never post about my friend [Walker]. Personal thing, but I prefer to keep our memories and bond private and quiet,” Johnson began. “But something about today compelled me as a moving reminder of how fragile life is for all of us,” Johnson wrote, alongside a photo of the two at a Fast Five event. “It’s Paul’s birthday and rightfully so, his legacy celebrated around the world. Our friendship was bonded over our daughters, Meadow & Simone and the pride and protection we took being their fathers.”
“And recently, I got a scare when I almost lost another friend on the road. All this stuff got me thinking about how beautiful, yet wildly unpredictable life is,” Johnson continued. “We never know what’s around the corner, so we gotta live as greatly as we can in the honor of our loved ones and ancestors who are no longer with us. Manuia le aso fanau, my friend.”
Meadow also shared a touching post with Walker on his birthday — a throwback photo of Walker embracing her, captioned, “Happy birthday to the loveliest soul I’ll ever know.”
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Meadow continues to uphold her father’s legacy through her work with the Paul Walker Foundation, which advocates for ocean and wildlife conservation.
Walker died in November 2013 when he was a passenger in a single-car crash in Santa Clarita, California. He was 40 years old.
