Dustin Diamond's family was already living through a difficult time before the young actor was cast as Samuel "Screech" Powers on Saved by the Bell
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Dustin's older brother, Ryan, was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart disease which left him severely disabled
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Ryan's death at age 8 and a complicated family dynamic that followed as Dustin's star rose led to troubles for the actor
Dustin Diamond's troubles in life weren't all connected toSaved by the Bell.
In the latest installment of ID'sHollywood Demons,After the BellDiamond's father, Mark Diamond, provides additional context for some of the problems the actor and his family faced before fame ever hit.
Mark explained that his own family was no stranger to tragedy. When he was growing up, his own sister had been murdered at the age of 16. Years later, he and Dustin's mother, Jaimee Deane Diamond, would welcome their first son on his late sister's birthday.
The joyous moment was made more difficult when the couple learned that their son, Ryan, was born with Down syndrome and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), a type of congenital heart defect.
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"Most of these kids don't live past a year," Mark explained. "When Dustin was born, he was two years younger than Ryan, we were really, really worried that he might have Down syndrome, that he might have similar problems, but he was born healthy."
Ryan's abilities were limited, but Dustin stepped in to help where he could. "Dustin used to entertain him and play with him, and I think that was the beginning of his creativity."
Things took a turn when Ryan contracted measles, which led to an infection in his already-compromised lungs, in 1983. Ryan would ultimately die from the illness at 8 years old.
The impacts on Dustin were evident very quickly, though he struggled to express what he was going through. “Dustin had been a perky, outgoing kid. He was getting good grades and suddenly, he was morbid and failing in school," Mark said.
A friend of Dustin's who appeared in the documentary noted, “Dustin didn't talk about his brother that much. Dustin just didn't really want to talk about the pain from losing a brother.”
It was during this difficult period that the family considered acting as an outlet for Dustin. While Mark believed it would be one of many hobbies, that changed when Dustin started to experience success.
“I was the one taking Dustin on auditions and quite frankly, I thought, ‘He'll get tired of it.' But then he gets cast inSaved by the Bell," Mark explained.
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Dr. Drew Pinsky shared his perspective on the situation, sharing, "Dustin looked to acting as a way to solve his grief. And now here he is, in a community, in a family where everyone else feels a part of something."
Mark would be the parent who devoted himself to Dustin's career. He explained, "Dustin's mother had been working for what had been the phone company, but when Ryan had his medical bills, we were forced into bankruptcy."
"We just didn't have the income we used to have and we got to the point where we had to make a decision and I gave up my job so I could leave and go to set," he continued.
Dustin later accused his family of misusing his earnings from the series. Mark says the accusations "really made me upset."
"I told him, 'Why are you throwing me under the bus when I can't pop myself on television [and defend myself]?' "
Mark noted that the earnings fromSaved by the Bell,which Dustin had previously said began at $1,250 per episode, weren't enough to mitigate the family's financial situation, and were further strained by the necessities of being a working actor. After taxes, gas and headshots, he claimed it “didn't leave a lot of money to do anything.”
Dustin continued withSaved by the Belland appeared on every iteration of the show from 1988 to 2000. He was in the midst of filmingThe New Classin 1996 when his mother, Jaimee, was diagnosed with cancer.
"She went downhill pretty quickly and Dustin saw that happening," Mark shared.
Dustin would go on to have several brushes with the law,serving jail timein relation to a 2014 stabbing.
In February 2021, the actor died after his owncancer journeyat 44 years old. Mark recalls getting the call from his son, learning that he had limited time left.
"He called me and he said, ‘I'm dying,' And I wanted to go back there and see him. He was afraid he was going to go out like his mother did.”
Hollywood Demons: After the Bellis available to stream now on HBO Max.
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Dustin Diamond's family was already living through a difficult time before the young actor was cast as Samuel "Screech" P...
