Paul Walker's death is still shocking years later. The healthy, much-adored actor died on November 30, 2013, in a fatal car accident. Paul and his friend Roger Rodas, who was driving the car, took out a Porsche and suffered from a single-car crash. Roger also died in the crash.
The news was hard for many to process — especially since Paul had a young daughter at home. Meadow Rain Walker was only 15 at the time of her father's accident but still holds his memory dear.
These days, she's 22 — and a budding fashion model. But it's not just the name that's getting her recognition. Meadow is incredible at her craft, which is likely why she led the recent Givenchy Fall/Winter 2021 fashion show.
The moment was a big one for Meadow, who revealed on Instagram that it was her fashion debut. And what a way to debut into the modeling world. She wore a sleek, black ensemble that included a black chain necklace. It'd be hard for people to tell this was her first big show.
Luckily, she shared the moment with all of her fans who couldn't see the show in person. "Exclusive Debut," she wrote on Instagram. "Opening Givenchy FW21. Thank you Matt for your complete support and determination to safely get me to Paris from NY. Congratulations on your first Givenchy show @matthewmwilliams! Grazie mille @pg_dmcasting. Thank you to everyone involved. Endless gratitude and love for you all Xx #givenchyfw21."
Meadow's first show was a little different from most. Because of safety precautions, the audience was limited. But that reportedly helped her overcome her anxiety over her first real catwalk. She took over Vogue's social media and opened up more about the experience.
"I was just thinking if it was completely filled and I was walking on the runway, I'd be absolutely terrified," she said. But the positive response to her performance should be a great way to ease anxiety the next time she's asked to participate. She's still close with a lot of her dad's friends, who've always cheered her on and considered her to be part of the Fast and Furious family.
In fact, this past year, Meadow posted a photo where she's posing with Vin Diesel's kids — one being 5-year-old Pauline, who was named after Paul Walker. Vin cares so much about Meadow and her career that he even refers to himself as "Uncle Vin" while wishing her well on social media. The fact that they have that connection proves how close the actors involved in the franchise really are.
Meadow's career is still fairly new. She's currently signed to DNA Models as of January 12, 2021. The agency welcomed her with a blog post that stated, "We are thrilled to announce Meadow Walker is represented by DNA Model Management. The American recently debuted modeling for Proenza Schouler's spring 2021 look book."
She has also worked on the Paul Walker Foundation since Paul's death. Meadow inherited everything Paul had. That may have caused some rifts in the family, as it's been reported that Meadow doesn't talk much to Paul's family anymore.
Paul's two brothers, Cody and Caleb, participated in a documentary about Paul's life. Supposedly, Meadow didn't want any involvement in the project. "She's a reserved young lady," Caleb said a few years back, per Yahoo. "She’s on the shyer, more reserved side. Maybe she needed a few more years, who knows. But we totally respect that. Obviously we would've loved to have her in it, but she wasn't ready."
Meadow also reportedly failed to attend the viewing of the film with her family. "Paul was a lot of things to a lot of people, and it's tough because being the daughter that grew up in a nontraditional type of household with a dad she had to share the world with is really difficult," Caleb speculated. "She's dealing with it in her own way, as everybody has done.”
And that includes posting throwback photos on occasion and working for the aforementioned foundation. The Paul Walker Foundation has one goal in mind, which is described right in its Instagram biography: "Our mission is simple: #DOGOOD."
Family is also very important to the organization. "At the center of The Paul Walker Foundation is Family," states the website. "A collective group of individuals, alliances and like-minded organizations dedicated to fulfilling Paul Walker’s LEGACY as he lives on in our hearts and through our actions."
That said, Cody and Caleb admitted that part of the reason why they don't know Meadow as well as they should is based on location. "She grew up in Hawaii," Cody said. "We would see her for all of the holidays, but otherwise, to be truthful, we didn't see her all that often. We’re here for her 100 percent. Whenever she's ready, she has a family that loves her. Things take time. Everybody deals with things differently. I think that's all that it is."
Now that Meadow has found her place — and will likely be traveling quite a lot for work — it may be a good time to reconnect. But no matter what, she still has all the support she could ever want. Everyone who cared about Paul cares about Meadow, as well.
Surely Paul's brothers are so proud of Meadow's career — just like Paul would be. She's got so much in front of her and is surely going to be yet another Walker success story. And hopefully, she'll keep her fans updated on Instagram as she keeps conquering goals.
