UPDATE: Dustin Diamond's fear has been confirmed. According to a new statement shared to the actor's Facebook page on Jan. 14, he has been diagnosed with cancer.
"At this time we can confirm that Dustin does have cancer," his team shared. "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."
E! News has learned Dustin has already started treatment.
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Amid a hospitalization, Dustin Diamond may be facing cancer.
The 44-year-old Saved by the Bell alum's team confirmed to E! News the star was hospitalized in Florida this past weekend after feeling pain. "Cancer is likely the prognosis," the team further noted, "though doctors are still running tests to figure out what is wrong."
The actor famously portrayed Samuel "Screech" Powers in all four seasons of Saved by the Bell, as well as seven seasons of the spin-off, Saved by the Bell: The New Class and two TV movies. He last appeared in the short film, Catching Up, released in February 2020.
However, the actor was the only main original cast member not to reprise his role for NBC's recent revival, which debuted on Peacock in November 2020. Screech's absence was explained on the show during the eighth episode when A.C. Slater (Mario Lopez) quipped, "Screech is so lucky he and Kevin get to live on the International Space Station, so he doesn't have to deal with all this."
Behind the scenes, Diamond, who has had run-ins with the law in recent years and served jail time in 2016, has not kept in touch with many of his famed co-stars. In 2019, Mark-Paul Gosselaar told Andy Cohen he last spoke to Diamond in 1994—much like Elizabeth Berkley later echoed.
"I haven't talked to him in a long time," she told Cohen in November 2020. "Honestly, I think since we finished the show is the last time I actually spoke to him, but not because of anything bad. I mean, he was always nice to me and he's had his journey, but really, I've kept more in touch with Mark-Paul, Tiffani [Thiessen], Mario and then, from time to time, Lark [Voorhies]."
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
(This story was originally published on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 2:31 p.m. PST)