Dustin Diamond "Saved by the Bell" star passes away at 44 years old on Monday after a three-week fight with carcinoma, according to his representatives. Diamond, best known for playing Screech on the hit '90s sitcom, was hospitalized last month in Florida and his team revealed later that the former SBTB star had cancer.
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| Photo: Dustin Diamond | Instagram |
Screech
remained a fan favorite long after the original "Saved by the Bell"
went off the air. However,
the subsequent decades were not as kind to Diamond, who died Monday at 44,
weeks after a diagnosis of cancer was announced. In recent years, Diamond spoke
openly about his professional impediments and personal struggles, painting a sad
portrait of life after youthful fame.
Diamond's team said in a statement, "Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful."
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| Photo: Dustin Diamond | Instagram |
"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," Diamond's team said.
Dustin
starred in a handful of reality television series including the fifth season of
"Celebrity Fit Club," "The Weakest Link" and
"Celebrity Boxing 2." In December 2013, Diamond appeared on an
episode of OWN's "Where Are They Now?" and became a house member in
the 12th season of "Celebrity Big Brother" in the U.K.