Inside Vin Diesel And Cody Walker's Emotional Reunion
It has been nearly a decade since Paul Walker died, but his family and Vin Diesel have made a valiant effort to keep his memory and legacy alive. Ever since his untimely death, Diesel has made sure to keep in close contact with the Walker family, and even enlisted Paul's brothers to help finish filming "Furious 7," which Paul never got to do. Cody and Caleb Walker served as doubles for Paul's character, Brian O'Conner, and also provided voiceovers to complete the film.
"Vin and the whole family have done a really good job of tastefully kind of letting the character ride off into the sunset. I think Paul would really get a kick out of where it's gone," Cody told TMZ in June. "I just know that Vin always takes a very serious approach to keeping Paul's legacy in mind and he's always done a really nice job of paying tribute to his character. They worked together and were brothers for years."
Diesel also made sure to look after Paul's daughter, Meadow, often treating her as if she's his own. "She's the first person on Father's Day to wish me Happy Father's Day," Diesel told Extra. "I feel very protective." When she got married in August, it was also Diesel who gave her away. Fast forward to December, Diesel has made yet another effort to support the Walker family. He reunited with Cody at FuelFest, an annual music and automotive festival. This year, it celebrated Paul Walker's nonprofit organization, Reach Out Worldwide.
Vin Diesel and Cody Walker reunited in honor of Paul Walker
On December 4, Vin Diesel went all out to support Cody Walker's FuelFest event held in Phoenix. "I'm here with my brother in FuelFest," he said in an Instagram video, in which he had his arm around Cody. "It is an honor to see the whole car culture being brought together by my brother Cody. I'm so proud of him and I know my brother Pablo [Diesel's nickname for Paul] is even more proud of him."
What is even more touching is that Diesel funded a private plane just to attend the event. Tyrese Gibson, who is also part of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, shared how Diesel didn't hesitate to travel to support Cody. "The hug that will be felt around the globe!!! Jumped on a private plane, on his own dime cause he didn't want another day to go by without hugging Cody Walker on the very week that we all lost our brother @PaulWalker," Gibson shared on Instagram, along with a photo of Cody and Vin hugging. "this is love this is real love for the WALKER FAMILY!!!!!"
Diesel also shared the same photo on his account, to which Cody commented his utmost gratitude: "The camera caught a real one right here," he wrote. "Thank you for always believing in me, supporting me and most importantly helping to keep a legacy alive."