Saved by the Bell’s Mario Lopez recently sat with co-star Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the sitcom, for a one-on-one interview. This was Diamond’s first after spending time in the Ozaukee County Jail in Wisconsin. The actor pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct at a bar.
Now 39, Diamond was best known for Saved by the Bell but continued his career in acting and reality TV over the years. He also made headlines for a variety of public incidents and arrests, as well his tell-all memoir Behind the Bell. The troubled star also released a sex tape back in 2006.
Diamond spoke about what put him in jail, his book, and the allegedly-released tape. A night out with his then-fiancé swirled out of control when a group of people asked for photos.
Things really got out of hand, he explained. “One of the girl’s friends [Amanda] was talking to sucker-punch my fiancée… she leaned back to me and her face was covered in blood,” he told Mario. A male then got involved by grabbing Amanda by the hair, prompting Diamond to pull out a pocket knife to protect her. Reports surfaced that he stabbed the male, but the actor claimed it only nicked him in the arm, which lead to his arrest and conviction.
Regarding his tell-all memoir, Diamond stated that a ghostwriter penned the book and it was not his own words. He now blames the writer for including incorrect and damaging information about his former sitcom colleagues. “They fabricated a whole bunch of stuff…I kind of super railroaded on that.”
Diamond hopes to clear the air with this interview and put such problems behind him.