Dustin Diamond, the actor known for his role as Samuel "Screech" Powers on the classic sitcom Saved by the Bell, has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 44.
Diamond died on Monday after being diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma, TMZ reports. He was reportedly hospitalized in January and completed his first round of chemotherapy weeks ago.
The actor starred as Screech throughout Saved by the Bell's original run, reprising the role in the spin-off Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. He also had roles in series like The Wonder Years and appeared on Celebrity Big Brother among other reality shows. He served three months in jail after stabbing a man at a bar in 2014, CNN notes, and he wasn't brought back for Peacock's reboot of Saved by the Bell that debuted in 2020.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
TMZ reports Diamond "was taken off of breathing machines in an attempt to get him to hospice care," and his girlfriend was by his side when he died on Monday morning.
The actor's spokesperson, Roger Paul, said in a statement to The Associated Press, "Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful." Paul also said, "Dustin was a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh. He was able to sense and feel other peoples' emotions to such a length that he was able to feel them too — a strength and a flaw, all in one."
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Kim Jong Un’s triumph: the rise and rise of North Korea’s dictatorIn the Spotlight North Korean leader has strengthened ties with Russia and China, and recently revealed his ‘respected child’ to the world
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
