Mario Lopez says he “connected” with former “Saved by the Bell” co-star Dustin Diamond after a Diamond spokesman revealed on Thursday that the actor had been hospitalized with stage 4 cancer in Florida .
Lopez shared his news on Instagram on Thursday night, along with a couple of photos, including one from their time in “Saved by the bell” and another more recent photo.
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“I connected with Dustin earlier this evening and although the news of his diagnosis is painful, we remain confident that he will get over it. Praying for him and his family and for a speedy recovery. God bless, ”he wrote.
Diamond, 44, was hospitalized earlier this week. It was not specified at the time that he had cancer.
“It’s serious, but we don’t know how serious yet. He’s going to audition. He’s not feeling well,” said a spokesman. “He is in an undisclosed hospital in Florida. We expect a speedy recovery.”
It is not clear what type of cancer Diamond has.
The actor is best known for playing Samuel “Screech” Powers in “Saved by the Bell”, which was shown on Saturday mornings on NBC from 1989 to 1993. He reprized the character in a pair of spinoffs in the 90s, “Saved by the Bell: The College Years ”and“ Saved by the Bell: The New Class. “
Diamond does not appear in the new “Saved by the Bell” reboot on the Peacock streaming service, making him the only young star in the original series not to appear in any capacity. His absence was explained by saying that Screech and his robot, Kevin, are living on the International Space Station.
