Saved by the Bell vet Tori Spelling pays tribute to Dustin Diamond, "my 1st onscreen love"

Entertainment Weekly

Spelling and Saved by the Bell stars Elizabeth Berkley and Lark Voorhies offered their condolences to Diamond, who died today at age 44 less than a month after a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. "My 1st onscreen love Dustin Diamond got his Angel wings today...," Spelling wrote on Instagram. "Before there was David and Donna there was Screech and Violet. Dustin was my first on-screen kiss. He welcomed me with open arms onto the set of Saved By the Bell. As one can imagine being the newbie on a hit show was overwhelming for a 14-year-old girl. He not only showed me around but made sure I was always ok. Such a young gentleman. He was kind, smart, and always making everyone laugh. He was a great scene partner. He was a really good guy. I'm sad after the show we never had much contact aside from occasionally running into each other at events. I'm glad he's out of pain. He's an icon to me professionally and personally. RIP Samuel love, your Violet. Lark Voorhies told EW: "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," she writes. "I am so very sorry he is gone. But it's exceptionally sad for his close loved ones who have do deal with his tragic death and their own great loss. My heart goes out to them at this trying time." Meanwhile, Elizabeth Berkley wrote on Instagram: "I’m grateful to have gotten to create with Dustin when we were at the beginning of our dreams coming true. I will hold onto those sweet memories and the laughs we shared. Rest In Peace."

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• Diamond "was afraid of the public attention if he went into the hospital": The actor's longtime manager, Roger Paul, tells People Diamond had been "feeling out of sorts and he'd had a lump on his neck that he was ignoring" before he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma. "He was afraid of the public attention if he went into the hospital. But finally, his girlfriend took him and the doctors confirmed it was cancer," Paul says. Paul adds that Diamond tried to remain positive while undergoing treatment. "Of course he was scared, but he tried to find the humor in it. He did chemo — he tried everything possible. But it didn't work," the manager says. "Dustin tried to be as positive as he could throughout everything — that's who he was — but he was scared."
• Mario Lopez got emotional while talking about Diamond on Access Hollywood: "He was like a little brother to me, we always remained in contact over the years," Lopez said. "I actually just spoke with him a couple of weeks ago after he got his diagnosis. Even then, he was full of energy and he was so optimistic. Life is just so fragile and not to be taken for granted. Our prayers are with Dustin’s family and his friends.”
• Here are Diamond's 15 best Saved by the Bell moments