Paul Walker’s $9,000 secret act of kindness finally revealed
Dec 5, 2013, 8:03 PM | Updated: 8:03 pm
Paul Walker shined onscreen in movies like “Fast & Furious” and “Pleasantville.” But behind the scenes, there was a part of his life that was kept a secret.
Iraq war veteran Kyle Upham and his wife Kristen recently shared their heartwarming story with Today Entertainment.
After returning from Iraq 10 years ago, Kyle was ready to buy a wedding ring for his wife. The couple stopped by a jewelry store in Santa Barbara, Calif., which happened to be the same one that Walker was shopping at.
Seemingly excited to see the actor, they sparked up a conversation.
“You could tell he had a demeanor about him; it was almost like anybody he probably would meet would become his best friend,” said Kristen.
OK, now back to the ring. Kyle and Kristen eventually found the perfect one. The only problem was its hefty price tag of $9,000. “There was no way we could afford it and just went about our way,” she said.
Shortly after leaving, the store clerk, Irene King, called with some amazing news. Someone had bought the expensive bling for them. While the clerk never revealed who the person was, Kyle and Kristen always suspected it was Walker.
Over a decade later, King felt it was now a good time to let the secret out and share Walker’s kindness with the world.
“He called the manager and he said, ‘Umm, the ring that those people are looking at — put it on my tab,'” King recently told a Los Angeles CBS News affiliate. “Soon after that, he just left.”
Walker died on Saturday in a fiery car accident in Santa Clarita, Calif. The autopsy revealed he died from the impact of the crash, along with injuries sustained from the car’s explosion.
