Saved By The Bell actor Dustin Diamond dies aged 44
Actor who played 'Screech' Powers on the popular comedy died after being diagnosed with a 'brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago'
Saved By The Bell actor Dustin Diamond has died aged 44 three weeks after being diagnosed with cancer, his representative said.
Diamond, who was Jewish, played Samuel “Screech” Powers on the popular comedy, was taken to hospital in Florida last month after falling ill.
His death was announced on Monday by Roger Paul, his representative, who said the cause of death was carcinoma.
Mr Paul said: “He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago. In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution.
“Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.”
He described Diamond – best known for playing Screech, the nerdy sidekick in Saved By The Bell from 1989-1993 – as “a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked, but never left us bored”.
He added: “We are thankful he trusted us enough to share his genuine, authentic self with our team. We wish you knew him in the way that we did.
“We please ask that you give room for privacy to our team and Mr Diamond’s family during this tragic time, as we grieve and remember the memories spent together. This loss is as much stinging as it is sudden.”
Diamond’s Saved By The Bell co-stars were among those paying tribute.
Mario Lopez, who played AC Slater, shared a picture of the pair together and said: “Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on…”
Mark-Paul Gosselaar played Zack Morris, and said he was “deeply saddened” by Diamond’s death, describing him as “a true comedic genius”.
He said: “My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade.”
Tiffani Thiessen played Kelly Kapowski in the 1990s comedy.
She said: “I am deeply saddened by I the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing. Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.”
Diamond reprised the role of Screech in follow-up series Saved By The Bell: The New Class and Saved By The Bell: The College Years.
However, Diamond did not appear in the recent revival series which starred several of the show’s original stars.
He was a contestant on the 12th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2013, and was evicted on day 16.
Diamond encountered financial trouble during his career and filed for bankruptcy in 2001. He later launched an elaborate crowdfunding bid to save his house, selling T-shirts with his face on to raise 250,000 dollars (£182,000).
The back of the T-shirts read “I paid 15.00 dollars to save Screeech’s house”. The extra ‘e’ was reportedly added to avoid breaching copyright laws.
Diamond was sentenced to four months in jail after stabbing a man during a Christmas Day bar brawl in Wisconsin in 2014.
Mr Paul said “we are aware that Dustin is not considered reputable by most”.
He added: “He’s had a history of mishaps, of unfortunate events. We want the public to understand that he was not intentionally malevolent. He -much like the rest of those who act out and behave poorly – had undergone a great deal of turmoil and heartache.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.