This just in from the Blogcritcs Too sad to be make you laugh, yet too funny to make you cry department – former child actor Dustin Diamond was almost mugged by a woman last Monday morning.
Diamond, best known as TV’s Screech on Saved by the Bell, hasn’t caught a break since his star turn on television in the early 90’s. Costars Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris) and Mario Lopez went on to have successful careers in television, yet Diamond never made it much past being Mr. Belding’s assistant in Saved By the Bell: The New Class.
That even makes Elizabeth Berkley’s strip pole gyrations look like a great career move.
I must admit I have a soft spot for Saved by the Bell. It aired during a time in my teenage years when Saturday morning TV was something I looked forward to wasting my weekend on. I was old enough to realize the show was dumb, but young enough not to care. There was something fascinating about the adventures of those teenagers at Bayside, like a train wreck, or the robot-girl on Small Wonder. Even as recently as this morning, I ran past a rerun and just had to watch, at least until the commercial.
Diamond’s personal life has not gone much better than his career. Recently he has started selling t-shirts to stop a foreclosure on his house. And now, he’s nearly mugged.
According to E-Online, Diamond says he first encountered the girl Sunday night at a comedy club where he had performed. She later followed him to his hotel room and accosted him.
"I wake up and go to the bathroom and all of a sudden I hear this pound-pound-pound at the door. I look out and see this girl with her hair hung down and I didn't put it together right away that it's the girl at the club."
Diamond at first joked with the girl, who was pounding on his hotel door before finally calling hotel security to escort her out of the building. Nearly an hour later, as he opened the door to catch a ride of town, the girl accosted him again. This time asking for his money and digging through his bags.
Again he called hotel security and this time also dialed 911, but not before trying to calm her with one of his “save my house” t-shirts. Not finding any money in his bags, the girl grabbed Diamond’s PSP video games and bolted down the hall.
Diamond dashed down the hall to catch her. "I'm a big gamer and you don't mess with the D-man's video games," he said. Struggling to catch her, the girl yelled “rape” and “help me.”
Diamond was able to recover his videogames as the police arrived. Both left statements to the police and charges were not filed against either party.
Poor Screech. His Hollywood career died, his house is being foreclosed, and now he’s mugged of his PSP games. Where’s Mr. Belding when you really need him?
Article comments
1 - Snarkattack
He really said that, about being the D-man and messing with his videogames?!" You don't smart-talk the person attempting to mug you! I know it's not supposed to be a funny situation but the word 'schadenfreude' does come to mind.
2 - Mat Brewster
I think that comment was made to reporters/police after the fact and not to the mugger.
You have to kind of smirk at the misfortune of Screech. You just have to.
3 - Snarkattack
Aww but it's bad to!
What I don't get is how come he's selling T-shirts and not, say, some of his personal belongings? Like the...uh...PSP stuff that nearly got nicked?
I was aware of poor Screech's problems when an acquaintance posted about it on her blog, take a look at the raunchy (not!) pic here.
Perhaps I should try selling tees, heh heh. The starving artist thing is so old.
4 - Mat Brewster
That's quite strange, actually. The news reports I read noted he has a fairly successful career as a stand up comedian. He just can't apparently afford his really big, expensive house. The rest of us would just move out and find a less expensive home. He sells t-shirts.
The other thing is his website notes that he was given a 30 notice on his house or be evicted. But the first time I took notice of the site was months ago, presumably the notice has come and gone.
Whatever, funny story either way.