It’s been a year since the sad news broke of the death of Dustin Diamond .
The actor and reality TV star was most famous for playing Screech Powers in Saved By The Bell.
But he was also notorious for other reasons, like his controversial sex tape and penning a scandalous tell-all book about his Saved By The Bell castmates.
On the first anniversary of his death, we take a look back at his colourful life.
Read more: Saved By The Bell and Celebrity Big Brother star Dustin Diamond diagnosed with stage four cancer
When did Dustin Diamond die?
Dustin Diamond passed away on February 1st 2021. He was 44.
His agent, Roger Paul, broke the news, saying: “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.
“Dustin Diamond was a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked, but never left us bored,” Paul added. “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.”
What did Dustin Diamond die of?
Dustin had been diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lungs in January 2021, just weeks before his death. Carcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in the tissues of an organ. In Dustin’s case it was his lungs.
It was announced in January that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer after checking himself into hospital after feeling unwell.
US publication, Entertainment Weekly, reported that Dustin was undergoing chemotherapy in a Florida hospital.
What did Dustin Diamond say about dying?
Dustin’s death came quickly but he’d been told he had anything from a few weeks to months, following his diagnosis. His friends were hoping he would outlive the odds.
Dan Block, a close friend of Dustin’s, told the Sun: “We do not have any specific timelines, but we know that Dustin needs a miracle to overcome the small cell carcinoma he’s been diagnosed with.
“He was told weeks to five months is the average but a small percentage of people have lived one to two years with it being stage four.
“We are hoping that he is one of the people to outlive the odds and that we get as much time with him as possible.”
What did Dustin’s friends and co-stars say about his death?
Dustin’s sudden death left showbiz friends and colleagues shocked.
Tori Spelling, star of Beverly Hills 90210, expressed her sadness on Instagram. She’d previously acted in Saved By The Bell when she was 14, playing Violet, Screech’s love interest.
She wrote: “My 1st onscreen love Dustin Diamond got his Angel wings today…
“Before there was David and Donna there was Screech and Violet. Dustin was my first on-screen kiss. He welcomed me with open arms onto the set of Saved By the Bell. As one can imagine being the newbie on a hit show was overwhelming for a 14-year-old girl. He not only showed me around but made sure I was always ok. Such a young gentleman. He was kind, smart, and always making everyone laugh. He was a really good guy. I’m sad after the show we never had much contact aside from occasionally running into each other at events. I’m glad he’s out of pain. He’s an icon to me professionally and personally. RIP Samuel love, your Violet ❤️”
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What did Mark-Paul Gosselaar say?
Mario Lopez, who played AC Slater in the teen comedy, spoke to Variety about his shock: “From when I found out he was sick to his passing, it’s been incredibly quick. It’s so fresh, it’s incredibly hard to process. And it’s shocking because he was so young; he was only 44.
“I honestly thought, ‘There’s no way [he won’t make it]. It sucks, but he’ll bounce back.’”
Other Saved By The Bell co-stars including Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris) and Tiffani Amber Thiessen (Kelly Kapowski) shared their condolences on social media.
Gosselaar tweeted: “”My sincere condolences to his family and friends,” he wrote. “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.”
What was Dustin Diamond famous for?
Obviously he was best known for playing geeky Screech, but this wasn’t the only reason Dustin was famous. Or perhaps infamous might be a better description.
In August 2013, he starred in Celebrity Big Brother, and was the fourth housemate to be evicted. The series was eventually won by Charlotte Crosby. On learning about his death, Charlotte tweeted: “RIP Dustin feels like a life time ago we were in the BB house together.”
RIP Dustin ❤️ feels like a life time ago we were in the BB house together https://t.co/B4FoK4NdIi
— Charlotte Crosby (@Charlottegshore) February 1, 2021
Dustin filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and, following this, made some career moves that raised more than a few eyebrows.
Dustin Diamond’s sex tape and book controversy
In 2006, he released a sextape called Screeched – Saved by the Smell. He was 29 at the time and confessed that he thought a sextape would make him some quick money.
He told Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now? “My buddy was at my house and the rumor was that Paris Hilton made $14million off her sex tape.
“And my buddy said, ‘$14million, holy smokes. Where is the Screech sex tape? You’ve got to be worth at least a million.’ And I thought, ‘Yeah, maybe.”
Dustin also said that he didn’t actually appear in the film and that he used a stunt-double instead.
In 2009, he published a book called Behind The Bell which was a memoir of his time on Saved By The Bell. The book was controversial as Dustin painted an unflattering picture of many of his former colleagues.
He made some shocking allegations of BTS stuff including group sex, bullying and using money to cover up sexual assaults. Needless to say, his former castmates weren’t overly pleased about the book.
Dustin Diamond arrest and prison
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In December 2004, police were called to arrest Dustin following a violent incident in a bar.
He was out with fiancee Amanda Schutz, celebrating their engagement, when a man punched him in the face for no reason.
Dustin later said that the man had hold of Amanda’s hair and that he took out a pocket knife and told him to let go. He claimed his knife nicked the man’s arm.
The star spent three months in prison after being found guilty.
He was re-arrested in May 2016 after breaking terms of his probation.
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