Vin Diesel brought the “Fast & Furious” family theme into Cannes as he honored Paul Walker and Meadow Walker. The “Fast” actor introduced Walker’s daughter before a special midnight anniversary screening of the first film.
A new post showed Meadow standing beside Michelle Rodriguez while Diesel spoke to the room. The moment came as the franchise marked 25 years. Old screengrabs from the F&F franchise, audience applause, and Diesel’s bond with Walker clearly framed the tribute.
Vin Diesel gives heartwarming nod to Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow at Cannes
As per the PEOPLE report, the festival hosted the anniversary screening. The actor introduced Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster before turning to Meadow Walker. He said he “could not have come alone” to represent their bond. Then, he named Walker’s daughter as that presence. “The person who was not going to let me come alone” was Meadow, Diesel said. He added, “I’m gonna go and shed a tear real quick.”
The Instagram post also showed the room reacting to Diesel’s speech. Its caption said the actor honored Walker and Meadow at the anniversary screening. The post already had 32.8K likes, 194 comments, and 504 shares after five hours. Diesel also told the crowd the first movie began with “one word” and “love.” Meanwhile, PEOPLE reported that Meadow later spoke with Diesel’s help. He said the cast was a “source of strength” for her. In the comments, one wrote that “True family goes beyond blood.” Another user added, “I’ll never forget the day.”
For context, Paul Walker starred with Diesel in the first seven “Fast & Furious” movies. He died in a car crash in November 2013 at age 40. His final franchise film, “Furious 7,” arrived in 2015 with “See You Again.” The tribute song later became central to the franchise’s goodbye. Meadow later appeared in 2023’s “Fast X” and founded his namesake foundation. PEOPLE noted Diesel is her godfather. The next installment, “Fast Forever,” is scheduled for March 17, 2028.
