Rebecca Soteros Is the Mother of Paul Walker's Only Daughter
Rebecca Soteros was Paul Walker's ex-girlfriend whom he dated in the late 1990s before welcoming their daughter, Meadow Walker. The actor's parents tried to get guardianship of their granddaughter but had to let the bid go.
During a December 2013 interview, Paul Walker's ex-girlfriend and Meadow Walker's mother, Rebecca Soteros, was discussed by the late actor. The actor revealed that their daughter wasn't a planned pregnancy.
He also shared how he and Rebecca had Meadow out of wedlock because they weren't married when she arrived. Speaking about fatherhood, he confessed that he was still finding his way, which was constant.
Paul noted how being a better father isn't something that can be forced. In a March 2013 interview, the "Fast and Furious" star revealed that Meadow, then 14, previously lived most of her life in Hawaii with her mother and only recently began staying with him full-time in Austin, Texas.
The celebrity admitted that he'd desperately wished to be with his only child, and now she was his "best partner." He was in awe of the bond they had, and becoming a full-time father inspired him to change his priorities, with him adding:
"There's a part of me who feels like I'm making up for lost time."
Rebecca's ex-boyfriend even put work aside to focus on his daughter before a tempting summer offer was placed in his lap. When he got home, he was angry, but Meadow asked what was wrong and got other details like when the shoot would happen and for how many months.
She managed to calm him down by confessing that she liked traveling in the summer. Paul asked her if they should entertain the offer before they sat down together and read through it before deciding to think further about it.
Sadly, the actor died in a car crash in November 2013, aged 40, and left his $25 million estate solely to his then 15-year-old child. Rebecca's ex named his father as his will's executor, but he petitioned to have Paul's mother, Cheryl, named as Meadow's legal guardian, including when it came to the funds.
Days after Cheryl's filing became public news, she met up with Rebecca.
At the time, the teenager was living with Rebecca. Paul Walker's father's filing led to other court proceedings being filed by Meadow's grandmother that affected her future. Ultimately, the little girl's best interests were placed above everything else.
What Court Proceedings Were Filed against Rebecca Soteros, Meadow Walker's Mother?
In March 2014, reports revealed that Paul's mother, Cheryl Walker, wanted temporary guardianship of her granddaughter. Three months before the actor died, Meadow started living with her grandmother, and after his death, Rebecca flew in from Hawaii to live with her daughter and mother-in-law.
Rebecca's stay was meant to be until things stabilized; however, that plan fell apart when Cheryl made her filing. Reports said Paul's ex-girlfriend became angry when she heard the news and took her daughter to a family friend's house a mile from Cheryl.
Rebecca's alleged six-year drinking problems and two driving-under-the-influence arrests were said to be the reason why Meadow asked to live with her father years before. Paul's will reportedly revealed how he'd desired that Cheryl become his daughter's guardian upon his death.
Days after Cheryl's filing became public news, she met up with Rebecca, who agreed to go into rehabilitation immediately if the grandmother dropped her bid. Meadow's grandmother agreed to do so if Paul's ex successfully completed the program and did a drug test afterward.
Ultimately, Meadow would live with her mother in California, and she was allegedly "happy" with the agreement. A source claimed Paul's mother blew things out of proportion because Rebecca didn't have a drinking problem, with the insider stating:
"Rebecca is a great mother, and Meadow is a very happy child."
By 2023, Meadow was a thriving young woman aged 25 and married to Louis Thornton-Allan. Paul's daughter has a social media presence on Instagram, but it doesn't seem like she ever posts photos of Rebecca, nor does she speak about the parent during interviews.