Dustin Diamond allegedly heard from only one of his Saved by the Bell costars before his death at age 44, a new doc claims.
“[Lark Voorhies] was a really good person and she left a voicemail for him and we played it for him before he died. He enjoyed it,” Diamond’s friend Dan Block recalled during a new episode of Hollywood Demons, which airs on Investigation Discovery on Monday, May 4.
Block, who was with the actor in his last days, claimed Diamond didn’t hear from everyone in his life, adding, “[Lark] was the only one that really reached out to him and is really heartfelt. I know they had a connection.”
In a separate confessional, Voorhies, 52, was asked about her bond with Diamond.
“That was my very good friend,” the actress said while making a rare onscreen appearance. “I miss him.”
Saved by the Bell, which aired four seasons from 1989 to 1993, followed a group of teens played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Diamond and Voorhies as they navigated the ups and downs of high school.
The series skyrocketed many of its cast members into stardom, which proved challenging for some of the then-child stars. Diamond, for his part, moved on to Saved by the Bell: The New Class after the original series ended and pursued stand-up comedy, reality television and music.
After Diamond released the tell-all book Behind the Bell in 2009, he grew distant from some of his former Saved by the Bell costars who claimed its contents were inaccurate. He later claimed the book was compiled by a ghost writer and parts were fabricated.
Diamond also faced legal issues when he was arrested in December 2014 after stabbing a man in a bar fight. He was found guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct and sentenced in June 2015 to four months in jail. Diamond was taken into custody again in May 2016 for violating his parole but was released from jail two days later.
Diamond was diagnosed with stage IV small-cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of lung cancer, after a 2021 hospital visit for an unrelated issue. At the time, a source told Us Weekly that Diamond was in “a lot of pain.”
“He received all the well-wishes from his Saved by the Bell costars, and he’s been really happy hearing that stuff,” the insider added. “It’s been nice that people have been reaching out.”
Publicly, Lopez and Thiessen, now 52, were among those who took to social media to address Diamond’s health battle.
“I connected with Dustin earlier this evening and although the news of his diagnosis is heartbreaking, we remain positive that he’ll overcome this. Praying for him & his family,” Lopez wrote via Instagram at the time.
Meanwhile, Thiessen told fans that she was “thinking of” her former costar. Berkley, 53, also noted via Instagram that she was “sending all healing” to Diamond.
The actor died in February 2021 — less than a month after he started chemo — and was honored by former costars in emotional tributes.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius. My sincere condolences to his family and friends,” Gosselaar, 52, said in a statement to Us at the time. “Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade.”
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Voorhies, for her part, reflected on her connection with Diamond.
“Words cannot express the grief that I am feeling right now. Dustin and I had a warm and special friendship, he was a caring gentleman, and my memories of him will always be cherished. I am so very sorry he is gone,” she said in a statement. “But it’s exceptionally sad for his close loved ones who have to deal with his tragic death and their own great loss. My heart goes out to them at this trying time.”
Hollywood Demons airs on Investigation Discovery Monday, May 4, at 9 p.m. ET before streaming on HBO Max.
