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Dustin Diamond's 'Saved by the Bell' co-stars honor him: 'A comedic genius'

Diamond died of lung cancer Monday morning.
/ Source: TODAY

Dustin Diamond's "Saved by the Bell" co-stars are honoring him after his death was announced Monday.

Mario Lopez, 47, shared a gallery of photos of himself and Diamond Monday on Instagram, writing, "Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on..."

A spokesperson for Diamond, who played nerdy Samuel “Screech” Powers on the popular 1990s comedy, told NBC News that Diamond died Monday morning of lung cancer. He was 44 years old.

Saved by the Bell
Diamond's "Saved by the Bell" co-stars are paying tribute to the actor.NBC

Last month, when the spokesperson revealed that Diamond had been hospitalized with stage 4 cancer, Lopez told fans that he'd "connected" with Diamond to share words of support.

“I connected with Dustin earlier this evening and although the news of his diagnosis is heartbreaking, we remain positive that he’ll overcome this. Praying for him & his family and for a speedy recovery. God Bless,” Lopez wrote next to pics of the pair on Instagram.

Tiffani Thiessen also paid tribute to Diamond on Monday, writing on Instagram, "I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing. Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin."

Mark-Paul Gosselaar called Diamond a "comedic genius" in his own emotional tribute.

"Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius," wrote Gosselaar.

"My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade," he added.

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren wrote, "I’m grateful to have gotten to create with Dustin when we were at the beginning of our dreams coming true. I will hold onto those sweet memories and the laughs we shared. Rest In Peace."