Trivia

Lost his battle with small cell carcinoma on February 1, 2021, at the age of 44. Diamond specifically outlined his post-mortem wishes that he wanted neither a public funeral nor a burial. He was cremated and his remains given to his father and his longtime girlfriend.

Diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Carcinoma [January 2021]. Reportedly, Diamond had not felt well for a while and was convinced to seek medical attention when he developed a large lump on his neck, which led to his diagnosis. While the type of cancer Diamond had is rarely seen in non-smokers (like Diamond). He speculated he might have gotten sick from years of staying in cheap motels with bad air or mold conditions while working as a stand-up comedian.

When Dustin was younger, he was a live mannequin for a store.

His girlfriend Jennifer suffered an ectopic pregnancy in December 2004. They later created the Dustin Diamond foundation, which supports organizations that specialize in child care.

Diamond became a figure of controversy in the mid-to-late 2000s because of three major events where he came across negatively: an alleged sex tape involving two women, an appearance on the VH1 show "Celebrity Fit Club" where he clashed with the other contestants and the show's hosts, and his 2009 tell-all book "Behind the Bell" where he talked about being mistreated and shunned by the rest of the SBTB cast. Diamond later claimed that none of those events were based in reality, saying that he faked his participation in the sex tape by having an anonymous man provide a "stunt penis" to film it, that he was recruited and scripted to be the VH1 show's villain to help ratings, and that the book was written by a ghostwriter hired by a cut-rate Montreal-based publishing house who took Diamond's non-specific notes and made up fictional accounts to fill out the manuscript.

Near the end of 2014, Diamond was arrested after a bar brawl in Wisconsin and charged with felony assault and two misdemeanors stemming from his alleged stabbing of another man. In May 2015, Diamond was acquitted of the felony charge and convicted on both misdemeanors, with a maximum sentence of a year in jail for the combined results. On June 25, 2015, Diamond was sentenced to 4 months in jail and to a post-sentence period of probation.

Trying to sell 30,000 T-shirts at $15-$20 each, by the end of June 2006, in order to save his $250,000 Wisconsin home, that he purchased on contract. (June 2006)

Had a black belt in karate.

Isolated himself from the rest of the teenage cast of Saved by the Bell (1989).

Had an older brother named Ryan, who was born with Down syndrome and afflicted with a fatal heart disease. Ryan tragically died at the age of eight, when Dustin was six years old.

In the May 2006 issue of Stuff magazine, readers voted Diamond the third most annoying former child actor that they would like to punch in the face.

Played the same character (Samuel "Screech" Powers) in six different series: Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), Saved by the Bell (1989), Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993), Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993), Hang Time (1995) and Robot Chicken (2005).

Set up The Dustin Diamond Foundation after the loss of his first child. The foundation helps to support organizations that care for children. (2005)

Diamond was not invited to participate in two fairly high-profile events that reunited the main cast of "Saved by the Bell": a 2009 cover story for "People" magazine on the 20th anniversary of the show's debut on NBC, and a 2015 skit on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" that had Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Theissen, Mario Lopez, and Elizabeth Berkley (along with Dennis Haskins) reprise their characters on the show. Dustin Diamond later stated that he did not want to participate in the Saved By The Bell reunions.

Started to work as a stand-up comedian after Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993).

On BBC Three he was listed in their Top 100 Annoying People List of 2006.

Dustin Diamond, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez were the only three actors to appear in all 86 episodes of Saved by the Bell (1989).

Defeated Ron Palillo (Horshack on Welcome Back, Kotter (1975)) on Fox's Celebrity Boxing 2 (2002).

A fan of professional wrestling, he had a side gig as a professional wrestler for an independent promotion in Wisconsin. Also made televised appearances as a fan on WWE programming.

Son of Mark Diamond, who also appeared in an episode of Saved by the Bell (1989) in 1989.

His father is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. His mother had English, Irish, Scottish, German, and a small amount of (verified) Cherokee Native American, ancestry. Dustin's maternal grandmother's family has lived in the American South for many generations.

Played bass in the band Salty the Pocketknife.

Ranked #16 in VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Kid Stars

Performing in Winnipeg at Rumours Comedy Club as a stand up comedian. (August 2004)

Kept busy making guest appearances on television, movies and selling out colleges and comedy clubs around the country as a stand up comic.

Release of his book, "Behind the Bell". (September 2009)

Working as a stand-up comedian. (2001)