Just like Dom Toretto keeps his family close, so does Vin Diesel.
The actor, along with cast members from “The Fast and the Furious” reunited in Los Angeles on Aug. 17 to celebrate the action film’s 25th anniversary.
In attendance were also Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, as well as the late Paul Walker’s 27-year-old daughter Meadow Walker.
Diesel expressed his love for his late friend’s daughter, sharing how having her in attendance gave him the fuel he needed to be at the special screening.
“It means everything,” Diesel told “Entertainment Tonight” about having Meadow Walker at the event. “Because I don’t know if I could have come to the red carpet.”
He recalled being at the original premiere 25 years ago “with my brother Pablo,” his nickname for the late Paul Walker. “I don’t know if the absence … I would have been able to survive.”
“And Meadow adds a grace,” he continued, before sharing more insight about their bond.
“She’s the first one to ever call me on Father’s Day. She’s the first one to show up to all the kids’ birthdays,” Diesel said. “She’s just such a blessing and I’m so grateful to have her in my family’s life.”
He called her “a true cousin to my angels” and added, “I would die for her.”
Paul Walker died in a car crash in November 2013, his daughter was only 15 years old at the time. Since then, the “Fast and Furious” franchise has continued to honor the actor’s memory by including his character, Brian O’Conner, in the films, whether it’s with archival footage or mentions of what Brian has been up to.
As for Meadow Walker, she also made a cameo in 2023’s “Fast X” and attended the premiere. The model has been close with Diesel’s family and over the years has shared photos with the actor’s kids Hania, 18, Vincent, 16, and Pauline, 11, named after Paul Walker.
“It felt like a way to keep his memory a part of my family and a part of my world,” Diesel told TODAY in 2015 about his youngest daughter’s name.
Diesel is also Meadow Walker’s godfather and walked her down the aisle when she married actor Louis Thornton-Allan in 2021. She and Thornton-Allan announced their separation in 2023.
Meadow Walker had previously shared videos and photos of her with Diesel from her wedding, but they have since been deleted.
Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based senior editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.