Getty 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond died on February 1, 2021.
Jennifer Misner was previously married to actor Dustin Diamond, who was best known for his role as Screech on NBC’s Saved by the Bell. Diamond passed away on February 1 after battling lung cancer, TMZ reported. He was just 44.
Misner and Diamond tied the knot in 2009. Their split was not widely publicized; FlickDirect reported the couple divorced in 2013.
Here’s what you need to know about Misner:
1. Misner Suffered a Miscarriage While She & Diamond Were Dating & They Never Had Children Together
Getty Dustin Diamond is evicted from the Celebrity Big Brother house on September 6, 2013 in Borehamwood, England.
Misner and Diamond began dating in the mid-2000s. According to a CBS News report from June 2006, Diamond and Misner were living together in Port Washington, Wisconsin, at the time.
The article discussed how Diamond was facing foreclosure due to unpaid bills. According to a small-claims lawsuit cited by CBS News, one of those bills was for $800 worth of landscaping. Diamond had claimed in a court filing that the landscaping bill “came from a contract signed in 2004 without his knowledge by an ex-girlfriend. He wrote they went through ‘a very ugly breakup’ that November.”
Based on that report, it would appear Misner and Diamond began dating after November 2004. The CBS News report included that Misner became pregnant but suffered a miscarriage in 2005, “which left the couple with high medical bills.”
British newspaper The Sun reported the miscarriage happened due to an ectopic pregnancy, which according to the Mayo Clinic “occurs when a fertilized egg implants and grows outside the main cavity of the uterus.” The Sun reported the miscarriage happened in 2004.
2. Misner & Diamond Started a Foundation to Benefit Children After Suffering the Miscarriage
Haunted IllinoisDustin Diamond and ex-wife Jennifer Misner.
After suffering the miscarriage, Diamond and Misner were inspired to launch a charitable organization to benefit children. They started the Dustin Diamond Foundation, which according to IMDB was set up to support “organizations that specialize in child care.” The foundation’s website has since been deactivated.
One of the first events the couple hosted was a “Haunted Masquerade” sit-down dinner in October 2005. The site “Haunted Illinois” reported at the time:
After years of playing funny guy Screech on the hit television series “Saved by the Bell”, Dustin Diamond has settled into a schedule of celebrity fundraiser’s, stand-up comedy, and building a life in Southeastern Wisconsin.
He and his wife Jennifer, have been recently touched by the need for quality, compassionate patient care, and are using their place in the Milwaukee and surrounding communities to raise money for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
3. Misner Stood By Diamond Amid a Sex Tape Controversy in 2006
Misner reportedly stood by Diamond in 2006 when his sex tape, Screeched – Saved by the Smell, was released. Diamond told Mario Lopez of E! News in 2016 that he decided to make the sex tape because he wasn’t having much success as an actor at the time. “I had to take a chance. What if that thing had made $3 or 4 million?”
The video does not feature Misner. E! reported in September 2006 that the 50-minute sex tape featured Diamond and two unidentified women. At the time, Diamond claimed the video had been filmed “a while ago” as part of a competition with friends.
Diamond told Oprah Winfrey in 2013 that “the sex tape is the thing I’m most embarrassed about.” Diamond explained for the interview that at the time he made it, a friend had commented that the Paris Hilton sex tape had reportedly earned millions of dollars. Diamond said his friend speculated whether a “Screech” tape could also earn a lot of money. Diamond said that looking back, he believes the decision to release a sex tape was “really dumb.”
4. Diamond & Misner Met in Pennsylvania & Got Married in 2009
Diamond and Misner reportedly first met in Pennsylvania. According to InTouch Weekly, they first crossed paths while Diamond was on tour.
They got married in 2009, though the details of their nuptials are unclear. Diamond briefly talked about his marriage during an October 2012 interview with CityTV in Vancouver, Canada. The host had Diamond hold up his left hand to show off the wedding band and stated Diamond had been married for three years at that point.
When asked to comment about married life, Diamond responded, “Happy wife, happy life my friend! That’s the way to do it!” Diamond added that he wanted to have children. He explained that when his own father had been 35, Diamond had been 13. Diamond joked that he was “falling behind” because he hadn’t yet become a father.
5. Misner Has Lived a Very Private Life Since Divorcing Diamond
It’s unclear what ultimately caused Diamond and Misner to decide to part ways. She has maintained a low profile in the years since and does not appear to be active on social media.
The Sun reported Misner works for Holiday Inn Express in Pennsylvania. The outlet cited the LinkedIn profile of a Jennifer Misner in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, who wrote that she had been working as the director of sales & marketing for the hotel since September 2010. Heavy has not independently confirmed whether this is Diamond’s ex-wife.
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