Mark Diamond, father of late Saved by the Bell actor Dustin Diamond, has publicly refuted his son's claims that he stole his earnings from the hit sitcom. In the latest episode of Investigation Discovery's docuseries Hollywood Demons, Mark addressed allegations made by Dustin before his death in 2021.
Dustin, who played Screech on the popular 1990s show, died aged 44 just weeks after being diagnosed with stage 4 small cell lung cancer. In the years prior, he had faced financial difficulties, filing for bankruptcy in 2001 and attempting to raise $250,000 by selling T-shirts in 2006 to prevent his home from being foreclosed. He publicly blamed his parents for his financial hardships, telling Fox Milwaukee in 2015: 'It's a shame. My parents wasted so much of my hard work.'
Mark said the accusations 'really made me upset' and explained that most of Dustin's income went to agent commissions and expenses such as taxes, petrol, headshots, and autographed photos for fans. 'This didn't leave much money for us to do anything. In fact, nothing,' he said.
Dustin's post-Saved by the Bell life included several legal issues, including a 2014 arrest for allegedly pulling a knife during a bar fight, for which he was sentenced to four months in jail. He was arrested again in 2016 for violating probation.
Despite the past tensions, Mark revealed that he and Dustin repaired their relationship before the actor's death.
