Fans might be very familiar with Vin Diesel's on-screen marriage with Michelle Rodriguez in the Fast & Furious franchise. Still, most don't really know much about his real-life long-time partner, Mexican model Paloma Jimenez. In fact, many people don't know anything about Diesel's private life, and they certainly forget he has kids.
Diesel has been attached to many different women, but he started a family with Jimenez and likes to keep their relationship on the down-low. But why did Diesel and Jimenez never make it down the aisle?
How Did Vin Diesel And Paloma Jimenez Meet?
Before meeting Paloma Jimenez, Vin Diesel, whose real name is Mark Sinclair, told Parade that he consciously took his time finding his soulmate. Working on the film Pacifier, which saw him working alongside children, made Diesel want to start having kids, but he didn't rush into anything.
"While I was doing Pacifier, [a 2005 comedy about a Navy SEAL-turned-nanny]… it really started to bring out this desire to have a child," he told Parade in 2008. "It took a couple years after that to find the right person and to hopefully be mature enough to be a great father which is really all you want to do."
Why Is Vin Diesel So Private About His Personal Life?
It is unclear how Diesel and Jimenez met, but many sources have said that the private couple was first seen together in 2007. They likely met through mutual friends or at an event, as they both work in the entertainment industry. Jimenez is an actress and model, and she has made quite a bit of money on her own. Since they began dating, Diesel and Jimenez kept virtually every detail about their relationships under lock and key.
In 2006, Diesel has said numerous times that he doesn't like sharing things about his life, but he didn't really explain why. "I’m not gonna put it out there on a magazine cover like some other actors. I come from the Harrison Ford, Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino code of silence." The actor has become notorious for this "code of silence," and most respect the decision he made about his personal life.
However curious we are about Diesel and his private life, we can't help but be proud that he's stuck to his guns about his own life. It's almost refreshing to see when celebrities are less-than-forthcoming about their personal lives.
We do know that Diesel and Jimenez welcomed three children, though. They welcomed their daughter Hania Riley, whom they call Similce, in April 2008, their son Vincent Sinclair in 2010, and their second daughter Pauline, named after Diesel's Fast & Furious co-star and good friend, Paul Walker, in March 2015.
Though Jimenez had her own career in the entertainment industry before starting a family with Diesel, she made the decision to step back from the limelight and focus on raising a family. Doing so allowed Diesel to act in the numerous roles he has over the years.
After the couple welcomed Hania, Diesel told Parade, "It’s amazing how it becomes your primary focus: 'Am I going to be a good dad?'" When they were getting ready to have the baby, Walker was the one who put the actor's fears about becoming a father to rest.
"He came to my trailer at the end of the day and said, 'Something is on your mind.' I had a secret," Diesel recalled to Variety. "I wasn’t telling anyone in the world that my daughter was about to be born. I’ll never forget what he said to me. He said, 'Vin, you go into that hospital room, and you cut the umbilical cord. It will be the best day of your life.'"
Diesel said, "[I] did everything but literally pull her out [...] I cut the umbilical cord. I was more present than I could ever have dreamed of, but the bonding that allowed for with my daughter is priceless."
Are Vin Diesel And Paloma Jimenez Married?
Like virtually everything else in the couple's life, they've kept the reason why they haven't married under wraps. However, that doesn't mean Diesel hasn't celebrated his long-time partner. In 2014, he took to his Instagram to post a photo of Jimenez holding their son. Diesel called Jimenez his "Mayan Queen" and continued to say, "There is no greater gift to a man than a loving mother to his children."
At the L.A. premiere of xXx: Return of Xander Cage in 2017, Diesel gushed to Entertainment Tonight about Jimenez, saying, "I’m speechless. She’s so stunningly beautiful, but the thing people don’t realize is she’s my rock, so she’s so stunningly beautiful on the inside. Paloma is everything. She's the perfect mother. She's just so wonderful in so many ways."
Even though they've faithfully kept quiet about their lives together, Jimenez isn't hidden away either. She manages to attend all of her partner's red carpet and other events.
We're wildly curious about Diesel's personal life, but we can respect that he doesn't want to share that part of his life. The details about his acting career, on the other hand, are one of the things Diesel is more than willing to share with his fans. He might have roles with only one iconic line, but he knows how to pick some fantastic roles.
Diesel's career choices are also starting to spread throughout the family. Two of his children with Jimenez have begun to dabble in acting. His son Vincent appeared in the Fast and Furious franchise, and his daughter Similce was a voice actor for the animated series Fast and Furious: Spy Racers. So far, the kids' acting credits are only centered around their father's roles. Time will tell if the two choose to pursue a career in the entertainment industry like their parents.