Saved by the Bell star Mark-Paul Gosselaar hits out at claims late co-star Dustin Diamond made in book
Mark-Paul Gosselaar has insisted that the claims made in the book penned by his late co-star Dustin Diamond were not 'very accurate'.
Pages which promised to offer Saved by the Bell fans an insight into the behind-the-scenes secrets of the show actually offered a distorted version of events, the actor who played the iconic Zack Morris claimed.
Speaking to LADbible, Gosselaar explained why he prefers to keep the memories he holds dear from the set of the NBC series to himself.
The screen star, 52, spent his teenage years starring as the charming Bayside High school student Morris alongside Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley and the late Patrick Muldoon from 1989 to 1993.
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In 2009, Screech actor Diamond released a book titled Behind the Bell, which made some scandalous allegations about his co-stars and what they got up to on set.
Among other claims, he alleged that Gosselaar 'exploded with manliness' in 1994 due to steroid use
Gosselaar vehemently denied the claims, as did other cast members who were written about in Diamond's book.
Diamond, who passed away from lung cancer in 2021, subsequently apologised to the Saved by the Bell cast members, saying his ghostwriter got the wrong end of the stick.
During a 2013 appearance on Oprah: Where Are They Now?, he clarified how he believes his remarks got misconstrued, saying: "That came about from throwaway statements of [the ghostwriter asking], ‘Was anybody doing drugs or sleeping together on the set?' [I said], ‘Well, what do you think - there was a bunch of kids with hormones'."
When Diamond died at the age of 44 in 2021, three weeks after he was diagnosed with lung cancer, Gosselaar was among the cast members who paid tribute to the actor.
He described him as a 'true comedic genius' while adding that he would 'will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only [Diamond] was able to produce'.
Last year, Gosselaar was forced to clarify the state of his relationship with Diamond after rumours about an alleged feud between them swirled.
Gosselaar said at a '90s Con' fan event that the cast 'never took it personally' and they looked at Diamond like a 'little brother'.
"Well, just to clear, there was nothing to reconcile because that beef that was created was created out there, not here," he told an admirer who asked whether he and Diamond had made up before his death.
When LADbible asked Gosselaar if he had any anecdotes from his Saved by the Bell days to share, he responded saying: "No, they'll quietly stay with us until somebody writes a book.
"I mean, Dustin wrote a book, but it wasn't very accurate and was kind of one-sided...but [the experience will] stay with us, I think, and thank goodness for no social media back then.
"Because none of it was documented or is available for anybody else to enjoy. It'll be our quiet, little secrets that we endear."
He went on to say that the cast continue to stay in touch with one another, as they're still bonded by their share experience - and the fact they are now 'all parents who are going through the same thing in life at the moment'.
"We're all very much still connected and reach out to each other whenever we can," Gosselaar said.
The dad also revealed that he doesn't think his kids 'care very much' about his 90s fame and have only haphazardly watched a few episodes of Saved by the Bell.
The Los Angeles-born actor has now returned to his Saved by the Bell roots and has revived his notorious 'time out' to raise awareness of the importance of cancer biomarker testing.
Gosselaar has partnered with pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca for the 'Meet Your Mark' campaign, which he told LADbible he hopes will 'open up a dialogue' about how this can benefit the care of those battling the disease.
Biomarkers, often dubbed 'health clues', are signs in the body 'like genes, proteins, or other substances, that doctors can measure through blood or tissue tests', AstraZeneca explains.
Detailing how this could benefit a person who has been diagnosed with cancer, it adds: "Biomarker testing may tell a doctor about the specific type of cancer present, how aggressive it might be, whether a treatment is working, or if targeted therapies or immunotherapies might help. Even if two people have the same type of cancer, their tumours can behave differently.
"Biomarkers can decode these differences, helping people and their doctors choose the next step in their treatment plan."
Gosselaar said he was keen to front the public health campaign as he believes it can help people find a 'more personalised approach' to their cancer care.
It's particularly important to him, as a close family member recently received a diagnosis and his wife, advertising executive Catriona McGinn, is 'taking the lead on' tackling their care.
"I have someone very close to me who was recently diagnosed with cancer," Gosselaar told LADbible. "It's an ongoing issue. Having seen what they're going through, it breaks your heart.
"And for people who feel like they have nowhere to turn...I feel that this is a great campaign to help people understand that there is something that could possibly help them feel like their treatment is more personalised towards their unique cancer."
Gosselaar said he is very health conscious himself, as a good night's sleep, proper nutrition and regular exercise are all non-negotiables for him.
"I'm not necessarily trying to live longer," the father-of-four continued. "I'm just trying to live healthier and have a healthy lifestyle so that I'm around for my children and their children, so that I can live a life that's not bothered by ailments.
"There's obviously things that we just can't prevent or foresee, but if there's things that I can do, I'm always looking to enhance those things so that I can become a better individual, whether it's mentally or physically."
He added of the 'Meet Your Mark' campaign: "I feel like if I were, God forbid, going through a diagnosis, I would just want direction. Like, where do I start?
"This gives them a good opportunity to start with a question for their doctor. And it's a direction to go in."
Gosselaar then discussed how his life has been impacted by cancer, adding: "There's been a lot of people in my life that I've known that have passed away from cancer recently, in the past decade even. Each one is a tragedy. And just having more information, I think helps in the process."
He is set to star in a new comedy series titled Bulges, which he described as a 'workplace comedy' that is set in something comparable to 'a male version of Hooters'.
Speaking of his upcoming project, he told LADbible: "It takes place in a restaurant and it's just a crazy, wacky bunch of guys and gals. I mean, it's nuts. It's a completely insane comedy that is a huge departure from anything I've done in the past.
"It'll be insane. The title alone just makes you smile. You have to see a show called Bulges."
Topics: Cancer, Celebrity, Celebrity News, Health, Originals
Olivia Burke