Died at the age of 40 in 2013, in a car accident, Paul Walker remains one of those immensely missed stars, for his talent and also his incredible generosity…
This anecdote, surely known to fans, deserves to be told again for those who still don’t know it. While at a Santa Barbara jewelry store in 2004, Paul Walker met a couple looking for a diamond ring, a couple who unfortunately couldn’t afford what their hearts desired.
It was a store employee who broke the story following the actor’s untimely death, prompting the couple to tell their side of the story: Kyle and Kristen wanted to treat themselves to a pretty engagement ring before Kyle Upham was sent for his second deployment to Iraq.
“When he found out Kyle was coming back from Iraq, I remember seeing his expression. He somehow transformed” Kristen Upham told CBS at the time.
The couple quickly recognized Paul Walker after starting a conversation with him. Kyle then told him that he had returned home after a tour in Iraq. Realizing they did not have the funds to purchase the jewelry they wanted, they left the store empty-handed. Shortly after, the seller called them, insisting that they come back, revealing that the ring had been given to them.
Paul Walker had in fact spoken to the store manager and told him to put the $9,000 jewelry “on his bill.” Confused by the purchase, the couple questioned the seller but, at Walker’s request, he refused to tell them who it was. So they kept the gift receipt for safekeeping, suspecting that it was the actor who bought it but without having any real confirmation.
The store later closed its Santa Barbara branch, keeping it a secret until the tragic death of Paul Walker where the manager confirmed the couple’s suspicions.
“His real life says a lot about his character. He truly put his words into practice and did good to this worlde,” added Kristen Upham.
Indeed.
The majority of Fast & Furious films can be found on Prime Video or on VOD.
