Entertainment

How Paul Walker's Daughter Meadow Is Beautifully Honoring Her Father's Legacy

by Tatiana Tenreyro
Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The new Paul Walker documentary, I Am Paul Walker, tells the late actor’s life story through interviews with his loved ones. The trailer features snippets of friends and his siblings talking about what made him so special to him, with many of them noting that Walker loved his daughter Meadow, now 19, above all. Although she’s notably absent from the documentary, what Meadow Walker is doing in 2018 is absolutely worth your intention.

Last year, Meadow — Paul's daughter with Rebecca Soteros — signed with Women Management and became the face for designer Adrianne Elmy’s campaign. She also started the Paul Walker Foundation back in 2015, with a mission to “serve as an enduring light of Paul's unique spirit, far reaching goals, and spontaneous goodwill.” The main focus of the foundation is to protect the oceans and wildlife, which is something the late actor was passionate about.

Even though Meadow has worked hard to celebrate her father’s legacy, she hasn’t been devoid of receiving criticism from some of his so-called “fans.” Meadow made headlines last year when her 2015 lawsuit against Porsche for her father’s death was settled. Teen Vogue reports that she was harassed online following this decision, with some people unfairly calling her greedy for receiving $7.2 of a $10 million settlement.

At the time of the harassment, Meadow had just returned to social media after a two-year hiatus. Since then, she has barely been active on the platforms (her last Instagram post is from March), although the social media accounts for The Paul Walker Foundation remain active.

While Meadow may choose to keep her personal life mostly private, it's clear that she has dedicated much of her pursuits to celebrating her father’s life. Paul was known for his incredible generosity towards others, no matter if they were loved ones or complete strangers. The doc delves into this, telling stories of his kindest gestures that not many know of. This includes traveling to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and buying one of his sisters a brand new car.

It’s also mentioned in the documentary that Paul had no true desire for fame or fortune, despite his success. In fact, his brother Caleb mentions that Paul actually wanted to be a park ranger and live in the wilderness. And once the opportunity came for him to have a shot at fame, Meadow remained his top priority, with Paul using his work as a way to provide for his daughter.

It's no wonder that Meadow continues to pay it forward and display kindness with the foundation started after her father's untimely death. In fact, one of the most recent pictures she shared on Instagram showed her holding up a bag with text that reads “DO GOOD” and a caption that says: “donating a bunch of food to a local homeless shelter today!! I love seeing all of your random acts of kindness and can't wait to see more 💙”

Years after Paul Walker’s death, his family's actions continue to remind us all that despite his on-screen success, the late actor was far more focused on dedicating his life to helping others.