Paul Walker’s brother Cody had to be comforted by his close friend Tyrese Gibson after he was reduced to tears as he spoke out about his grief over his sibling’s death – just days before what would have been the late actor’s 50th birthday been.
The Fast and the Furious star died in 2013, at the age of 40, after the car he was driving crashed into a concrete lamppost and caught fire in California.
Now, in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com: FuelFest Founder Cody laid bare his ongoing heartbreak over the loss of his older brother, as he opened up about the “big role” Paul played in his life after their parents split as children.
‘Miss him every day. Hard to believe actually. Ten years. Wow,” he said, thinking of his oldest sibling.
He also expressed his “pride” for Paul’s 24-year-old model daughter Meadow, who campaigned for Givenchy, although he admitted the newlyweds are “doing her own thing” after reports the couple’s relationship had become estranged.
Fighting back tears: Cody was reduced to tears as he discussed his late brother Paul in an exclusive interview with Dailymail.com
Shoulder to cry on: Tyrese was there for Cody as he revealed how the Walker family will take sunrise and sunset photos for Paul’s 50th next week
Cody (seen with Paul) was 25 when his brother passed away – and now he’s opening up about the incredible impact his brother had on his life
Cody, 35, opened up to DailyMail.com while discussing his latest passion project, FuelFest, an event series kicking off Saturday with live drifting and supercar roll racing
Speaking about plans to honor Paul on the tenth anniversary of his death on November 30, he began: ‘Ten years from now, usually as members of the family will do, such as taking pictures of the sunrise or sunset on his birthday. ‘
But the actor – who is preparing to host his inaugural FuelFest even in New Jersey on Saturday – stayed away as he wiped his eyes and struggled to hold back tears.
Tyrese, who starred alongside Paul in the Fast and Furious franchise, quickly jumped up to hug his friend and offer him comfort when Cody broke down.
Cody took a moment to compose himself and continued, “He turns 50 on Tuesday. Miss him every day. Hard to believe actually. Ten years. Wow.’
Speaking about their relationship, he added, “He played such a big role in my life,” Cody said of his late brother. ‘He’s fifteen years older than me. The same parents. I was the accident – the best…
“My parents separated when I was in high school, so it had a huge impact on my life. You know, I had to travel a lot with him, he would take me with him.
“My mother would say, ‘He has to come back for school,’ and he would just say, ‘Oh, he’s learning everything he needs to learn with me.’
‘He meant a lot to a lot of people. And we miss him very much.’
Cody, who was 25 years old when his brother died, said he likes it when people talk about how much Paul meant to them.
Father-daughter: Cody spoke about his relationship with Paul’s daughter Meadow, pictured here with her father, after reports that they are now estranged
Buddies: Tyrese continues to help remember Paul, depicted together in 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious, by hosting FuelFest, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Paul’s non-profit charity
“It’s really cool when people come up and say, ‘Your brother is the reason I love cars’ or ‘a car saved my life,’” he said.
“It’s a cool feeling because my answer is always ‘me too.’ I’m 15 years younger. He had a huge impact: I couldn’t even drive. I was in high school. Running to the theaters, to the premieres and all that. It was so wonderful. So it feels really good when people say things like that.”
Asked about his current relationship with Paul’s daughter Meadow, who starred in this year’s Fast X, he said: ‘She does her own thing. She is pursuing that career. She finds her success. I’m very proud of her now.’
Tyrese joined in and praised Meadow, adding, “She was just in Fast Ten. So proud. We love Meadow. She’s a supermodel. Paul Walker was a model without even being a model. This man checks everyone out. He was the perfect white man.”
Meadow, who was 14 years old when her father died, is said to have become estranged from the Walker family, with reports in 2019 claiming she had ‘cut them out’.
The model, actress and CEO of the Paul Walker Foundation, who married Louis Thornton-Allan in October 2021, previously said her father would have been “amazed” by her role in Fast X.
Cody spoke with DailyMail.com ahead of Fuel Fest, an automotive-focused event series that kicks off tomorrow at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
Pride: Cody expressed his pride at Meadow for building a successful career for herself as a model
Keep it in the family: Meadow made her debut earlier this year in Fast
Legacy: Paul at the movie premiere of Fast and Furious 6, just six months before his fatal car crash
The event, hosted by Cody and his business partner Chris Lee, is co-hosted by Tyrese, who starred alongside Paul in the blockbuster Fast and the Furious franchise.
A portion of the proceeds from the opening event will be donated to Reach Out, the nonprofit organization founded by Paul to send first responders to disaster-affected areas to assist with relief efforts.
“Every time there would be a natural disaster, Paul, out of his own pocket, would put 10 to 15 people on a plane and they would be there pulling rocks and helping the unburied people or helping with whatever natural disaster was happening,” Cody said.
“So every FuelFest event we do, we donate a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales to reach globally because we now have people in Hawaii helping with boots on the ground.”
Upcoming shows include Las Vegas on October 6 and 7 and Scottsdale on December 9.
Paul played Brian O’Conner in five Fast and Furious films and posthumously starred in Furious 7 in 2015.
Tickets for FuelFest New Jersey, Las Vegas and Scottsdale are on sale now at FuelFest.com