Mario Lopez Reacts to Co-Star Dustin Diamond's "Heartbreaking" Cancer Diagnosis

After Dustin Diamond was diagnosed with cancer, former Saved by the Bell co-star Mario Lopez shared a heartfelt message, along with sweet photos of the pair.

By Ryan Gajewski Jan 15, 2021 8:40 AMTags
Watch: "Saved by the Bell" New Series on Peacock: E! News Rewind

Mario Lopez is sending support after his former Saved by the Bell co-star Dustin Diamond was diagnosed with cancer.

The Extra host shared a screenshot to social media on Thursday, Jan. 14 of himself and Dustin in a scene from the beloved 1990s sitcom, alongside a more recent photo of the two pals catching up.

"I connected with Dustin earlier this evening and although the news of his diagnosis is heartbreaking, we remain positive that he'll overcome this," Mario captioned the images on Instagram and Twitter. "Praying for him & his family and for a speedy recovery. God Bless."

Dustin's diagnosis was confirmed on his Facebook page on Jan. 14 to update fans about the 44-year-old performer who is best known for playing gawky-but-lovable Samuel "Screech" Powers on Saved by the Bell and several spinoffs.

"At this time we can confirm that Dustin does have cancer," his team posted. "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."

photos
Saved by the Bell: Where Are They Now?

E! News has learned that Dustin has already begun receiving treatment. 

His team had previously confirmed to E! News that the actor was hospitalized in Florida over the past weekend after he was stricken with pain.

"Cancer is likely the prognosis," the team shared at that time, "though doctors are still running tests to figure out what is wrong."

Although Dustin is synonymous with the Saved by the Bell franchise, he was the only original core cast member to not appear in Peacock's revival series that launched in November.

The missing character was explained away in one of the episodes, as Mario's A.C. Slater remarked, "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."