Saved by the Bell's Dustin Diamond Is Dead at 44

The actor struggled after the cancellation of Saved by the Bell: The New Class.

February 1, 2021

Dustin Diamond in 2013. BigBrotherJunkie89/Flickr

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Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the classic '90s teen show Saved by the Bell, has died of cancer. He was 44 years old.

Diamond struggled after the end of Saved by the Bell: The New Class (in which Screech became Principal Belding's assistant): he directed and released his own sex tape (although he later told Oprah it was a body double), participated in reality shows like Celebrity Fit Club and The Weakest Link, and released a much-maligned tell-all book called Behind the Bell. (After receiving criticism for the book, Diamond said it was ghost-written.)

He also had brushes with the law, including arrests for possession of a switchblade, carrying a concealed weapon, and disorderly conduct.

It was announced last month that Diamond was undergoing treatment for small-cell lung carcinoma.

Jennifer Goldberg is the Senior Editor of Culture at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in February 2016. In her role, Jennifer writes and publishes profiles of both local and regional musicians, previews upcoming performances and provides guides on the best of Phoenix’s entertainment scene. She also oversees the Best of Phoenix. Jennifer previously worked for Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. During her career, Jennifer has received awards from the Arizona Press Club, the Arizona Newspaper Association and the American Jewish Press Association. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in English from Arizona State University.

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