DUSTIN Diamond has tragically died at just 44 years old on February 1 2021 after a brave battle with stage four lung cancer.
The star famously played Samuel "Screech" Powers on Saved By The Bell for 11 years from 1989-2000.
Who was Dustin Diamond?
Dustin was born January 7, 1977, in San Jose, California.
He was an American actor, who of course is known for starring in Saved By The Bell.
After the show ended Dustin turned his hand to reality TV.
He was also a stand-up comedian.
How did Dustin Diamond die?
The actor was hospitalized in Florida for cancer, and a worried pal confirmed his diagnosis of stage 4 cancer to The Sun.
Dan Block said the 44-year-old former child star didn't seek cancer treatment because he didn't want people making fun of the "huge lump" on his neck.
Dustin's close friend Dan confirmed the tragic news of his death on Monday February 3, 2o21.
Dan, who flew in to be by his bedside this morning, told The Sun: "We thought he had five months or something.
"He was getting ready to go into the hospice today.
"I was there, by his bed. He didn't say anything. He wasn't in a position to talk. He was laboring to breathe really bad. We're all so shocked."
The news comes just hours after The Sun reported that Diamond's illness was terminal.
Dan last spoke to Dustin last Thursday – before his speech deteriorated – but said he was excited about the future and thought he had weeks or months to live.
"On Thursday night I knew it was going to be sooner than we originally thought," Dan said.
"He told me he was dying, he told me he was in a lot of pain, but he was still excited about the future – he thought he would have a few more weeks or months. He thought five months.
Dustin – who played lovable Screech Powers in the teen sitcom – had told pals his last wishes were to meet his idol Justin Chancellor, the British bassist from heavy metal band Tool, and visit the Star Wars exhibit at Disney World, Florida.
"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," his close friend Dan Block had told The Sun.
"He was told weeks to 5 months is the average but a small percentage of people have lived one to two years with it being stage 4.
"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."
How long did Dustin play Screech in Saved By The Bell?
Dustin became a household name playing nerdy Samuel "Screech" Powers in NBC's hit kids' TV show Saved by the Bell.
The show ran from 1989 (when it was known as Good Morning, Bliss) to 1993.
Dustin also starred in its spin-offs Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1994) and Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1994-2000).
So in all, Dustin played Screech for around 11 years.
What other TV shows did he appeared on?
Dustin has appeared on several reality and game shows.
This includes Celebrity Big Brother, The Weakest Link and Celebrity Fit Club.
He also appeared on Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling and Celebrity Boxing 2.
Did Dustin Diamond appear in the Saved By The Bell 2020 reboot?
Dustin will not be appearing in the Saved By The Bell 2020 reboot.
The actor had ruffled some feathers with his former co-stars over the years.
In 2016 he apologised for unflattering revelations in his 2009 tell-all autobiography Behind The Bell, a book he now says was largely fabricated by a ghostwriter.
Among the claims were that Mark-Paul Gosselar used steroids and that various cast members had sex with each other.
After Save By The Bell ended, unlike many of his co-stars, actor Dustin Diamond failed to continue a career as an actor.
In 2006 he famously directed and starred in a porn video, which saw him have sex with two women.
Then in December 2014, Dustin was arrested in Wisconsin for possession of a switchblade knife, which he was alleged to have pulled on a man during a bar altercation.
In May 2015, Dustin was convicted on two misdemeanours: carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct.
In June 2015, the actor was sentenced to four months in prison.
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