Biography

Lost his battle with small cell carcinoma on February 1, 2021, at the age of 44. Diamond specifically outlined his post-mortem wishes that he wanted neither a public funeral nor a burial. He was cremated and his remains given to his father and his longtime girlfriend.

Diamond became a figure of controversy in the mid-to-late 2000s because of three major events where he came across negatively: an alleged sex tape involving two women, an appearance on the VH1 show "Celebrity Fit Club" where he clashed with the other contestants and the show's hosts, and his 2009 tell-all book "Behind the Bell" where he talked about being mistreated and shunned by the rest of the SBTB cast. Diamond later claimed that none of those events were based in reality, saying that he faked his participation in the sex tape by having an anonymous man provide a "stunt penis" to film it, that he was recruited and scripted to be the VH1 show's villain to help ratings, and that the book was written by a ghostwriter hired by a cut-rate Montreal-based publishing house who took Diamond's non-specific notes and made up fictional accounts to fill out the manuscript.

Diagnosed with Stage IV Small Cell Carcinoma [January 2021]. Reportedly, Diamond had not felt well for a while and was convinced to seek medical attention when he developed a large lump on his neck, which led to his diagnosis. While the type of cancer Diamond had is rarely seen in non-smokers (like Diamond). He speculated he might have gotten sick from years of staying in cheap motels with bad air or mold conditions while working as a stand-up comedian.

His girlfriend Jennifer suffered an ectopic pregnancy in December 2004. They later created the Dustin Diamond foundation, which supports organizations that specialize in child care.

When Dustin was younger, he was a live mannequin for a store.