They were friends. They were costars. They were brothers. And today, in the second part of his pre-recorded interview with the Today show, Vin Diesel shared how Paul Walker, who died tragically in a car accident in Nov 2013, was a mentor to him.
Walker came into fatherhood much earlier than Diesel, his daughter, Meadow, whom he co-parented with ex Rebecca Soteros, is now 16. “He took on that role of kind of being the guide into fatherhood for me. It's kind of beautiful," Diesel told Today co-host Natalie Morales in a new clip earlier this morning.
Diesel and longtime girlfriend, Paloma Jiminez, welcomed a sibling for their kids; 6-year-old Hania and 4-year-old Vincent, earlier this month, The Celebrity Café reported, naming her Pauline to honor the memory of his close friend and, “Keep his memory a part of my family and a part of my world,” he said.
He also recalled a story about the birth of his son.
"The one thing Paul always wanted me to do was be present at my child's birth," he added. "He was so adamant about it."
While filming Fast 5 in 2010, the late star stopped production when he heard that Diesel's girlfriend had gone into labor with the couple's son Vincent Sinclair, US Weekly reported.
The stars were in Puerto Rico filming the last scene of the movie when Walker and Diesel heard about Jiminez going into labor. "He was like, 'We can film later. You have to go now.' And he was right and I did," Diesel shared of Walker’s reaction to the news.
It seems Paul Walker will forever be a part of both the lives of Diesel and his children. Rightfully so.
Walker’s final film, Fast & Furious 7, will hit theaters on April 3.
Image courtesy of INF Photo