Per EW, Saved By The Bell alum Dustin Diamond is currently hospitalized in an undisclosed hospital in Florida. Representatives confirmed that the former actor, who played Screech Powers on the perennial teen hit, entered medical care sometime over the weekend. They did not specify why Diamond was hospitalized, but note that discharge plans are tentative at the moment. “It’s serious, but we don’t know how serious yet,” the rep told EW. “He’s at an undisclosed hospital in Florida and will probably go home after treatments. We just want him to get well soon.” TMZ was the first to report the hospitalization.
NBCUniversal recently rebooted the iconic series for its streaming service, Peacock. Diamond, who has publicly clashed with the rest of the remaining cast over the years, was the only original cast member to not revive his role in the new series. (His absence was addressed on the show, insinuating that Screech was in space with his longtime robot friend, Kevin.) A recent interview between fellow castmate Lark Voorhies and Toronto’s KISS 92.5 hinted that his exclusion might not have had anything to do with personal conflict, but a potentially underwhelming offer.
“[With] Dustin Diamond, the almighty dollar rules on that,” Voorhies said. “He wants to be paid and respected. We would love for him to come back on set. He’s going through his growing pains… He’s going through his adult issues and all of that but I am sure he’ll be back — granted they have the perfect contract for him. I’m sure he would be back.” Diamond’s reps have confirmed that he and NBCUniversal have had talks about a potential return in the yet-to-be-renewed show: “They’ve been talking, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
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In related news, Jessie Spano is back in rehab after losing her thirty year long battle with caffeine.
We lost a lot of great kids in the 90s to those goddamned over-the-counter caffeine pills.
She didn’t fall off the wagon through pills. There was a far more convenient way to fuel her addiction.
Needs moar pumpkin SPICE!!!!
She’s mainlining the beans?
Washed down with Jolt Cola!
But she’s so excited to get clean! She’s so excited to get clean! She’s so… scared of not getting clean!
boo….
Oh. I thought she became a stripper (sorry– ‘showgirl’) in Vegas?
When Jimmy Fallon did the reunion bit and that joke came up her face was priceless.I’m glad that she has moved beyond it.
Oh, you bad wee bastard…you owe me for cleaning up the snotty coffee I just discharged all over my keyboard…
With this series on Peacock premiering, I think it was E! that did a SBTB marathon, and I noticed there were a handful of episodes missing Jessie Spano. 25 years later we can finally chalk it up to Jessie checking herself into rehab for that damn addiction.
lmao!!!!!
He’s not this knobend, is he?https://gizmodo.com/psychedelic-mushrooms-grew-in-a-mans-veins-after-he-inj-1846044856
Thanks, I hate it.
Neck injury?
Can’t blame him for wanting to get paid to be the butt of all the jokes and
it’s not like the rest of the cast is his biggest fan after that book
he wrote about them. We thought Dre was a goner and he seems to be okay. I don’t know if Diamond has completely turned his life around, but this could be a 2nd chance for him.
I actually feel bad for the guy.Would you want to be him?
Well he’s not filthy stinking rich, but he’s almost definitely got more in his bank account than I do, so yeah, probably.
I have no idea how much either you or Screech have in your bank account but it wouldn’t shock me if that wasn’t true.
Maybe fifteen years ago he did a fundraiser to keep from losing his home, so I don’t know if he’s doing all that well, financially.
No. Dude has done scat porn.
Some people like shitty porn. Don’t stinkshame……I mean kinkshame.
Is that where you’re having the sex and the cat jumps on the bed and paw-swats your ass and you yell “YOW!” and jump off her and yell at the cat?
I haven’t seen it but the video was called Saved By The Smell so I hope no animals were involved. Or they just supplied props for the shoot.
bloody ‘ell.
oh god I think I just threw up in my mouth lmao. must have been all chili rainbows and horsetails, hope no one ate peanuts or corn might put an eye out if one of those comes shooting out the ol poop shoot
No, it’s where the porn make intricate rhythms using syllables but no words while they fuck. Actually, I’d watch that…
Yes. That’s exactly what it is. Now you never need to Google it. Ever.
I’m sorry what?
Pretty sure that was debunked as not him.
I probably wouldn’t want to be him, but the prospect of once having a hit show as a teen, and living off the syndication paychecks is appealing. It’s just the washed-up, has-been seemingly-hated-by-my-castmates thing that’s holding me back. And even if that wasn’t the case, there’s audience perception of Screech- or at least, my disdain for the character. Is celebrity status worth it when the caveat is you’re famous for being the least-liked one from your show? It’s the same reason I wouldn’t want to be Steve Urkel or Kimmy Gibbler either.With all that said, I wish him well, and hope he’s not hospitalized because of personal demons or something.
It’s the same reason I wouldn’t want to be Steve Urkel or Kimmy Gibbler either.I read that as Kimmy Granger (shut up) and thought, “Well, there’s a reboot I’d watch.”
I don’t.No.
Having interacted with him twice and seen him in action a couple more times in Milwaukee bar’s, save your pity. He’s a jerk.
No because I like me.
I remember when he was on the celebrity weight loss show and he was his own worst enemy there. He definitely seems to have issues, and I’d hoped he’d gotten some therapy.
I kind of feel bad for feeling bad for him :/
Of all the cast members I wouldn’t expect to be rejecting offers, it’d be Dustin Diamond.
I think he’s just depressed that he lost to the Cleveland Browns two weeks in a row.
Hahaha! But to be fair he sat out week 17.
Like that was going to make a difference…
Probably would’ve been worse?
I don’t think it could have been much better, as Sunday demonstrated. An extra week’s rest doesn’t Ben magically more mobile.
I hope he’s not occupying a hospital bed that could be used for a decent human being.
jesus christ, dude, is Justin Diamond some monster now?
It’s florida, I think he’s safe.
Ugh, of course.
Ouch!
The other four Diamonds kicked his ass, didn’t they?
It was probably DDP.
SELF HIGH FIVE
Wait, hang on.He has a rep?
Plural, apparently.
He’s got Lark Voorhies.
*looks up to see who’s sick, sees it’s dustin diamond. Goes back to what she was doing*
He probably binged way too hard on the “Zack Morris is Trash” episodeshttps://www.funnyordie.com/zack-morris-is-trash
Are we taking bets? I put my money on Hepatitis-C.
I’m happy Lark Voorhies is returning – this was news to me and as a result I’m actually more inclined to check this reboot out now. And perhaps I’m not the only one – in which case I hope she was paid well enough for bringing her share of eyes to the screen! (I suspect she and Dustin Diamond got the shittiest offers – I’m no fan of his but can’t knock him for not just taking whatever the studio initially offered).
The reboot/sequel is one of the best things I watched all of last year- it’s ridiculously funny- but Lark’s presence is all too brief compared to the rest of the non-Screech cast.
I watched the first episode and found it incredibly awful. I’m glad the show is getting some love though.
The first episode is intentionally a lot more old school cheesy SbtB than the rest of the series, but it can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
He’s going through his growing pains… He’s going through his adult issues Girl, you guys are like 5o, the only thing growing on him is his ear hair.
I think the rest of the cast might kind of still think of him as a kid. He was younger than all of the rest of them by a couple of years, which isn’t a lot in your mid 40s, but when you are in your mid-teens it can be a lifetime.
I don’t care. If you’re in your 40’s, it’s no longer ‘growing pains.’ It’s demeaning to call it growing pains. He’s a grown ass adult with his own ability to take responsibility for his life. Maybe he just didn’t want to do it because the offer wasn’t enough. Like, he’s the butt of so many jokes. “Look how awkward and nerdy and weird this guy is!” and I wouldn’t re-up my 15 minutes of fame in that case for a sub-par paycheck.
Oh I read that as her calling him immature and juvenile, but in a veiled way.
Lark Voorhies is speaking for Dusty Diamonds! With extra commentary from Lake Bell, Leaf Phoenix, Charisma Carpenter and Parker Posey!
I saw him do stand up in the bar at the college I went to. Super vulgar. Spent a third of the time telling jokes, a third talking about sleeping around with the save by the bell cast, and the other third insulting the audience.
He was definitely going through something back then. Fighting to not be Screech.
That seems to have been his MO for most of his adult life. Here’s a little gem from the ghosts of avclub past: https://www.avclub.com/dustin-diamond-s-behind-the-bell-1798226153
My pick for best AVC article of all time.
Even when he was deliberately reviewing crap, it was rare for him to express so much outright contempt.
There was a moral revulsion there that elevated the article to art.
Wow. I completely forgot about that review and how Rabin just put him down. OG AVC for life.
Yeah, he did a comedy show at my law school (!) around 2004. They ended up giving most of the tickets away for free. He took the stage almost 2 hours late, and most of his jokes were shitting on his SBTB castmates, including homophobic Mark Paul Gosselar insults. It was sad to behold.
He was at my college somewhere in 2000-2002 and yes, same.
Hey maybe he’ll die.
For a hot second, I thought that was Matthew Fox from Lost.
I wonder if it was he who leaked that he’s at a hospital.
stupid white nigger
wasn’t it smell not bell?
Was this article a teal deer (i.e. TL;DR)? Let me summarize: Dustin “Screech” Diamond, the Florida Man.