On November 30, 2013, Fast & the Furious star Paul Walker died in a tragic car accident after his friend lost control and crashed into a concrete lamppost and two trees. Reports revealed that he left his daughter Meadow the entirety of his estate valued at $25 million, a decision that has caused conflict amongst the rest of his loved ones.
Meadow has since cut off all communication with Paul's family, and while this has left them "heartbroken" for years, his mother and brothers Cody and Caleb "hope one day they can be a part of her life again."
Paul Made His Will 12 Years Before His Passing
According to McLaughlins Lawyers, Paul was only 28 years old when he made his Will in 2001, the same year the first Fast & Furious movie was released. He hadn't yet become an international movie star or started building his net worth, and was "too young in the eyes of many to have considered planning for his Estate."
While Paul's Will saved his family from having to apply to the court to divide his estate according to the rules of intestacy, his decision to leave everything to his daughter Meadow—who was only two years old at the time—upset several of Paul's loved ones. Since he made his Will 12 years prior to his death in 2013, it did not even consider his partner of 7 years, Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell.
Paul And Meadow's Relationship Was Incredibly Strong
While several of Paul's loved ones were initially shocked that his entire $25 million estate was left to his daughter Meadow, his family has since acknowledged that the actor and his daughter shared a very close bond.
In the 2018 documentary, I Am Paul Walker, his father Paul Walker III stated, "No father loved a child more than he did Meadow."
Meadow chose not to participate in the documentary which honored her father's life, and Paul's brother Caleb defended her decision to E! News by saying that "she's a reserved young lady."
“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.”
Paul's brother Cody confirmed that Meadow did not attend the family screening of the documentary, either, but added, "she's dealing with it in her own way as everybody has done."
Paul Wanted His Mother To Look After Meadow
Meadow initially grew up with her mother in Hawaii, then moved to California to live with her father approximately three years before his tragic death.
Paul's will surprisingly appointed his mother as guardian of his daughter, as opposed to her biological mother, Rebecca Soteros. Cheryl Ann Walker filed for guardianship on March 20, 2014, alleging that Meadow's mother had a drinking problem.
However, Walker and Soteros reportedly reached a settlement right before the March 27 hearing date, and Meadow has been living with her mother ever since.
Meadow Has Cut Ties With The Walker Family
An inside source recently told The Sun that Meadow hasn't spoken to her father's family in some time, and Paul's brothers and mother are devastated by the lack of contact.
"The family are heartbroken about the whole thing - it brings them to tears just thinking about it," claimed the source. "Meadow doesn't talk to Paul's brothers Cody and Caleb or their mother - she's shut everybody out - she doesn't talk to anyone in the family."
Paul's family remains hopeful that Meadow will eventually welcome them back into her life, and believes that "time is a great healer."
"They will all be there with open arms if she ever does decide to make contact. But it is still really tough for them and they hope one day it changes," the source added. "They know she went through a lot at a young age - it's hard enough to lose a father but to lose a father who was a huge movie star - she already had to share Paul with the world when she was growing up. Then he died when she was just a teenager, when she had just started a new school. She had just started living with Paul at the time after living with her mother and had really started bonding with him - so it was really horrible for her to have to go through that. The shock was hard to deal with for the older members of the family - never mind a 14-year-old."
Paul's Family Remains Supportive Of Meadow's Modeling Pursuits
Meadow is now reportedly trying to pursue a career in modeling, and even though she's stopped talking to Paul's family, they continue to wish her the best.
"They know she's grown now and she's pursuing her dreams of being a model in New York and they wish her all the best with that" claimed the inside source. "They just hope one day they can be a part of her life again."