Mario Lopez has led tributes to Dustin Diamond, after he passed away at the age of 44 following short battle with cancer.
Mario Lopez
Dustin was confirmed on Monday (01.02.21) to have died just weeks after he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with stage four small cell carcinoma, commonly referred to as advanced lung cancer.
And following the sad news, many of his ‘Saved by the Bell’ co-stars have taken to social media to pay tribute to their late friend, including Mario, who played A.C. Slater on the hit sitcom.
Mario wrote on Twitter: “Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on.”
And Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris, also paid tribute to Dustin – who starred as Samuel 'Screech' Powers – calling him a “true comedic genius”.
He wrote: “Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. 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.”
Whilst Tiffani Thiessen posted on Instagram: “I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing. Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin. (sic)”
Dustin was reported to have been hospitalised on January 12, and the news was confirmed by a representative days later.
They said: “At this time we can confirm that Dustin does have cancer. Dustin will disclose more information once it is available and a plan moving forward is made.
"We ask everyone to respect Dustin’s privacy during this difficult time. All positivity and prayers are appreciated.”
The actor’s passing was also confirmed by his representative.
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