Fact vs. Fiction: Paul Walker’s Daughter
Be wary of any stories you read about Paul Walker's 15-year-old daughter Meadow. They're most likely not true.
For starters, she wasn't present when the "Fast and the Furious" actor, 40, died as the passenger in a fiery car crash just outside of Los Angeles. She also hasn't posted any teary farewells to her father on Twitter or Facebook or any other website.
A new post on the late actor's official Facebook page shoots down some of the false reports popping up by the minute about the daughter he shares with ex-girlfriend Rebecca McBrain.
"It is unfortunate that claims are being made to the media that Paul's daughter Meadow was at the event on Saturday when the accident occurred," wrote his publicist and social media manager. "We want to clarify that Paul went to the event alone. Meadow was not at the charity event on Saturday and thankfully, did not witness the accident. Any claims stating otherwise are inaccurate. Sadly, there's also numerous people creating fake social media profiles claiming to be Meadow. We would like everyone to know that Meadow does not currently have any public profiles and is not currently active on social media. We ask that her privacy be respected at this time. - Team PW"
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Meadow's paternal grandfather, Paul Walker III, explained to reporters on Monday that Meadow was understandably "taking it really tough." "[But] she has family around her and some very, very loving friends," he added. "They're all close. There's a lot of hugging, a lot of hand-holding."
The teen and her father were closer than ever in the last few years after she moved from Hawaii —where she spent most of her earliest years living with her mom — to California, where she spent a lot of time with Paul.
He recently explained in an interview with WENN how he felt upon learning that McBrain was having his child.
"It was tough. I went to Christian high school, and I was told mom and dad were supposed to be together," he said. "I knew where I was at with chicks and having fun. I mean, I was sleeping with [McBrain's] friends, for crying out loud. You know what I mean? I was an animal, and so I want to be there and my heart wants to be in it, but the mind just isn't following it. I felt guilty, so I'd come around and do what I could do. What left me off the hook emotionally was at least I was providing financially, but emotionally I wasn't there yet."
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But he was far from an absent father. In 2003, the handsome actor spoke about his hopes for Meadow, who was then 5.
"I have a daughter and she's been going on camping trips with me recently," he told OK! magazine's Lauren Brown, who was with CosmoGirl! at the time, just as the first "Fast and the Furious" was released. "It's important to me that she experiences those things and grows while doing all that. I think sometimes it may be overwhelming for her because of who her daddy is and what he does. I hope it never gets to a [bad] level, but there's a chance it will, and I just know that the only way to offset that would be to make the outdoors a key part of her life. Being out in nature is a big part of the way I am the way I am today."
He continued, "I was really freaked out [about becoming a dad]. The whole thought of being a dad was scary to me. It's kind of like that Creed song that says, I don't know if I'm ready/To be the man I have to be. Every day, you find yourself scratching your head, going, 'Wow am I really? I guess I really am!' I would imagine that even when I'm 40 and looking at her, I'll still be going, I'm a dad! It's just pretty wild. I don't think it's anything you get fully used to, because I don't think anybody thinks that they're truly prepared or ready for that."
As Meadow grew older, Walker spoke about teaching his little girl to surf and regularly picking he up from school. He even offered his house up to Meadow and her mom, according to People.
Earlier this year, he noted that things were going well. "My heart was desperate for so many years with the situation with my daughter," he told Entertainment Weekly. "My daughter lives with me full time now and she's the best partner I've ever had."
Just three weeks ago, Walker cited Meadow as an inspiration for what will end up being one of his final roles. In "Hours," a drama set for release on Dec. 13, he plays a father struggling to keep his newborn daughter alive in a New Orleans hospital that has lost power in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"I'm five times the father that I was five years ago," he told the Associated Press. "Your head's more in it. Your heart's more in it."
Walker was not only a dedicated father, but also a longtime philanthropist who started his own non-profit organization, Reach Out Worldwide, a network of people with first-responder skills willing to help local officials when disaster strikes. Universal Pictures announced Tuesday that a percentage of the proceeds from Walker's last completed "Fast and the Furious" movie (the sixth installment in the franchise) will be donated to the charity.