Dustin Diamond, the actor who played "Screech" on the sitcom "Saved by the Bell," has died of cancer. his publicist announced.
The 44-year-old, who had recently been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, died Monday after he was taken off breathing machines, TMZ reports.
Diamond's family had been attempting to get him into hospice care at the time of his death.
Diamond starred as Samuel "Screech" Powers on the popular Saturday morning sitcom before appearing on a number of reality television shows and music videos.
His publicist released the following statement:
"Dustin Diamond was a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked, but never left us bored. We are thankful he trusted us enough to share his genuine, authentic self with our team. We wish you knew him in the way that we did. We please ask that you give room for privacy to our team and Mr. Diamond’s family during this tragic time, as we grieve and remember the memories spent together. This loss is as much stinging as it is sudden."
