TV star made headlines during his time in Port

Dustin Diamond, a childhood television star who made Port Washington his home for more than a decade and gained notoriety after he stabbed a man on Christmas 2014, died of lung cancer Monday, Feb. 1.

Diamond was diagnosed with stage four cancer only three weeks ago and reportedly completed a round of chemotherapy before he died.

“In that time, it (cancer) managed to spread rapidly through his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution,” according to a statement posted to his Team Dustin Facebook page. “Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain.

“Dustin Diamond was a character in and of himself: an unpredictable spitfire who always left us shocked but never left us bored.”

His death brought renewed attention to Port Washington, where he had lived from 2002 until 2019, when he moved to Florida.

While he lived quietly for much of that time, Diamond, who gained fame for playing Screech Powers on the television sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” found himself in the news in 2006, when he decided to sell T-shirts online to raise money to stave off foreclosure, and again in 2014, when he was arrested after he stabbed a man at Grand Avenue Saloon in Port.

Diamond was acquitted of a felony count of second degree recklessly endangering safety but a jury found him guilty of two misdemeanor charges, carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct with a dangerous weapon.

He was sentenced to four months in jail and 15 months of probation, but was released from jail early, in April 2016, after earning 30 days of “good time” for cleaning the jail.

Media from throughout the country reported on the case of the former child star who in more recent times toured as a stand-up comedian.

Diamond, who was on “Saved by the Bell,” played the part of Screech for 13 years both on the original show and various incarnations of it, but was not included in the most recent cast reunion show.

He later released a memoir about his days on the show, made cameo appearances in films, was a cast member of Celebrity Fit Club, and at one point released a sex tape. 

Diamond told the Green Bay Press-Gazette in 2018 that he said he moved to Wisconsin after a friend who lived in the state  suggested they record an album here.

He was burned out at the time, he said, and needed a change of scenery.

“I have to say, during that four-month period, I just fell in love with it. I like the vibe. I liked the people. I liked the whole general feel ... It was like Pleasantville. Clean, open, fresh air.”

When he first moved to Port, he said, there were times people would drive by in the middle of the night and yell “Screech,” he said.

“Sometimes, that’s funny,” he said. 

Diamond moved to Florida in 2019, and while living there a pipe burst in his house during the winter. The house flooded, damaging the main floor and basement and it was put up for sale last summer for $280,000. 

The house was listed as “celebrity owned” and a “great rehab project” for an investor or handyman, and the listing noted that it had been vacant for more than a year.

According to realtor.com, the house is now listed at $270,000.