Why Dustin Diamond Was Left Out From the ‘Saved by the Bell’ Reunions
Dustin Diamond has tragically died of cancer on February 1st, 2021. The Saved By The Bell star is best known for his role as Samuel Powers (aka Screech) on the NBC program. But unfortunately, despite playing a crucial role in the series for over a decade long, he was never invited to any cast reunions. Keep reading to find out why.
Dustin Diamond claims he didn’t get along with his ‘Saved By the Bell’ cast mates
According to Diamond in his tell-all book, Behind The Bell, he didn’t get along with his co-stars. He felt like an outcast throughout the show’s run as much as he tried to fit in. According to Mario Lopez, the rest of the cast didn’t get along with Diamond.
“Not everyone got along with Screech AKA Dustin Diamond,” said Lopez in his memoir, Just Between Us. “I did, but maybe I was the exception. He was one of those dorky kids who thought it was hilarious to take polaroids of his genitals and leave the photos all over the set.”
Dustin Diamond wrote a tell-all book that painted his co-stars in a bad light
Diamond stirred controversy with his fellow cast mates after releasing his tell-all book titled Behind The Bell. In the book, he paints his Saved By The Bell co-stars in a less than flattering light. The book accuses his co-stars of immoral and raunchy behavior, which they did not find amusing. Sadly, his memoir ultimately severed any relationship he had left with his old cast mates.
As a result, he was never invited to any of the cast reunions.
Dustin Diamond apologized to his ‘Saved By The Bell’ cast mates for his tell-all book
“Oddly enough, it’s doing interviews like this and getting the word out there,” he said in an interview with Doctor Oz (via ABC News.) “This is my best weapon for repairing the damage that was caused by things that were done by people who took advantage of me and the situation I was in at the time.”
“I will say, guys, I think you’re fantastic,” said Diamond, addressing his old cast members. “Working with you has been just one of the icons of my life, and I’m sorry that this has taken advantage of me, the book, and other situations I’m sure we’ll talk about here. But I’m sure that you’ve experienced downfalls, as well, in your time, and I’m still loving you guys.”
“I hadn’t talked to most of the castmates in a long time,” Diamond said on the show. “Mario Lopez and I speak frequently, and Dennis Haskins and I speak frequently. Of course, Slater and Belding. And they know what I went through, but the rest of the cast — Mark-Paul I haven’t seen since I was 16 years old, so I feel terrible about it, but what can I do? Unfortunately, being in the entertainment industry, you get fleeced a lot, and you get taken advantage of a lot. And it hasn’t been my first bout with that, and so I’ve gotten good at just kind of brushing it off and moving forward. If I dwell on the past, then it just eats at me, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
