Just like Dom Toretto keeps his family close, so does Vin Diesel.<\/p>\n
The actor, along with cast members from \u201cThe Fast and the Furious\u201d reunited in Los Angeles on Aug. 17 to celebrate the action film\u2019s 25th anniversary.<\/p>\n
In attendance were also Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, as well as the late Paul Walker\u2019s 27-year-old daughter Meadow Walker.<\/p>\n
Diesel expressed his love for his late friend\u2019s daughter, sharing how having her in attendance gave him the fuel he needed to be at the special screening.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means everything,\u201d Diesel told \u201cEntertainment Tonight\u201d about having Meadow Walker at the event. \u201cBecause I don\u2019t know if I could have come to the red carpet.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled being at the original premiere 25 years ago \u201cwith my brother Pablo,\u201d his nickname for the late Paul Walker. \u201cI don\u2019t know if the absence … I would have been able to survive.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Meadow adds a grace,\u201d he continued, before sharing more insight about their bond.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s the first one to ever call me on Father\u2019s Day. She\u2019s the first one to show up to all the kids\u2019 birthdays,\u201d Diesel said. \u201cShe\u2019s just such a blessing and I\u2019m so grateful to have her in my family\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n
He called her \u201ca true cousin to my angels\u201d and added, \u201cI would die for her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paul Walker died in a car crash in November 2013, his daughter was only 15 years old at the time. Since then, the \u201cFast and Furious\u201d franchise has continued to honor the actor\u2019s memory by including his character, Brian O\u2019Conner, in the films, whether it\u2019s with archival footage or mentions of what Brian has been up to.<\/p>\n
As for Meadow Walker, she also made a cameo in 2023\u2019s \u201cFast X\u201d and attended the premiere. The model has been close with Diesel\u2019s family and over the years has shared photos with the actor\u2019s kids Hania, 18, Vincent, 16, and Pauline, 11, named after Paul Walker.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like a way to keep his memory a part of my family and a part of my world,\u201d Diesel told TODAY in 2015 about his youngest daughter\u2019s name.<\/p>\n
Diesel is also Meadow Walker\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Meadow Walker had previously shared videos and photos of her with Diesel from her wedding, but they have since been deleted.<\/p>\n
Liz Calvario is a Los Angeles-based senior editor for TODAY.com who covers entertainment, pop culture and trending news.<\/p>\n