Is Paul Walker still alive? No, but that hasn't stopped conspiracy theorists from promoting baseless claims about the former "Fast & Furious" actor's tragic death.
In this story, we'll break down several online postings that all claim, without credible evidence, that Walker is not really dead.
The Crash
As of this writing, it's been nearly 10 years since Walker and his friend, Roger Rodas, died in a fiery car crash in the Valencia neighborhood of Santa Clarita, California. The crash occurred on Nov. 30, 2013.
An investigation following their deaths found that Rodas was driving a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT between 81 mph and 94 mph before slamming into a light pole with a 45 mph speed limit sign, The Associated Press reported. (Other reports said that the car also struck a tree.)
Rodas, 38, and Walker, 40, had taken what was supposed to be a quick ride on a clear afternoon from a fundraiser benefiting Reach Out Worldwide, a Walker charity that gives first-response aid to victims of natural disasters. The crash occurred near the fundraiser, and horrified friends of the men raced to the scene.
An unidentified witness said she saw the Porsche "'jiggling' back and forth in (its) lane like the driver was jiggling the steering" just before the crash, according to the report.
Autopsies showed that neither man had used alcohol or drugs. Investigators found evidence suggesting both wore seat belts and air bags deployed for both the driver and passenger, the sheriff's department said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, caused the crash.
To sum all of this up, authoritative sources and their investigations found that both Walker and Rodas died in the crash.
The License Plate Rumor
One rumor claimed that the license plate seen on the same car in a picture taken long before Walker's death was different than a license plate that was photographed at a roadside memorial that had been set up at the site of the crash. The false implication here was that the car involved in the crash wasn't the same car everyone thought it was, and that Walker must therefore still be alive.
However, as a user on the Skeptics forum on Stack Exchange explained, the license plate that was photographed at the roadside memorial showed no signs of being damaged by the crash or fire. Even the plastic holder around the license plate at the memorial didn't look to be melted even the slightest bit.
It appeared that an admirer of Walker and/or Rodas had placed the unrelated license plate at the roadside memorial simply to be symbolic. A steering wheel was also visible in the memorial photo. As some readers might guess, all parts of the car from a crash such as this one, including the steering wheel, would have been removed from the scene for the investigations that followed.
Note: Project Casting covered the license plate story as well as two other rumors that also fell short on evidence.
The Airport Video
In 2014, a user on the Daily Motion video website posted a clip that showed Walker talking to a skycap at an airport. That video was titled, "Paul Walker still ALIVE!!!+PROOF!!!"
The truth was that the video was shot for TMZ on Sept. 10, 2013, around three months before his death.
The Jet Ski Photo
In December 2013, just days following Walker's death, a rumor made the rounds that claimed he had been photographed, alive, riding on a jet ski.
A discussion about this rumor took place on The Student Room message board. It's unclear what specific photo the users were referencing. However, the picture may have been this one that often receives shares (pins) on Pinterest:
This photo of Walker on a jet ski was shot during filming for the 2005 film, "Into the Blue," at least eight years before Walker's death.
As another user on the forum perfectly put it, "Someone who wanted to fake their own death would not go jet skiing days later."
'Witness Protection'
On May 23, 2023, just days after the release of "Fast X," a Twitter user with a display name of TrumpAnon19 tweeted, "Paul Walker alive, witness protection."
Another user, @Nancy023922191, then tweeted a screenshot of TrumpAnon19's tweet, adding, "Paul walker is alive."
The tweet received more than 1,000 likes, despite presenting no evidence whatsoever, other than an old picture that was shot by a photographer for USA Today.
'Proof That Paul Walker Fakes His Death!'
In a years-old video that was posted to Daily Motion, the video title reads, "Proof That Paul Walker Fakes His Death!"
However, the video begins by admitting, "Paul Walker did not fake his death."
This seemed to be nothing more than clickbait posted so the user could make money on ads that displayed before the video began.
'PAUL WALKER IS ALIVE IN MALAYSIA'
In 2022, a YouTube user named @ladyboss.3056 posted a video titled, "PAUL WALKER IS ALIVE IN MALAYSIA."
However, this video does not show Walker, or anyone who even resembles him.