Dennis Haskins, 'Saved by the Bell' Actor, Secretly Battled Parkinson's

Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for his role as Principal Richard Belding on the popular 1990s sitcom "Saved by the Bell," secretly battled Parkinson's disease in the years leading up to his death, multiple sources told TMZ on Tuesday.

His ex-wife, Sarah Quinones, told the outlet that Haskins kept his health struggles private, even from his friends and loved ones. She stated that Haskins, who was living in an assisted living facility toward the end of his life, had stopped responding to texts and calls from those inquiring about his well-being.

Haskins' representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

News of Haskins' death at the age of 75 broke on Monday. His cause of death has not yet been publicly disclosed. He was last seen in public in December 2018, attending an NBA game. Prior to that, he made public appearances at red carpet events in October and November of the same year.

Haskins is survived by his son, Dustin. Since the announcement of his passing, former castmates have shared tributes on social media.

Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski on "Saved by the Bell," remembered Haskins as a "steady presence" during her teenage years. "I will always remember his kindness and be grateful for the memories we as a cast got to share with him," she said in a statement to Page Six. "RIP Mr. B."

Lark Voorhies and Mario Lopez, who portrayed Lisa Turtle and A.C. Slater respectively, expressed their heartbreak on social media. Lopez called Haskins "the biggest kid on the ‘SBTB’ set" and recalled his love for karaoke.

Haskins originated the role of Mr. Belding on Disney Channel's "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" in 1998 before reprising it for the "Saved by the Bell" "New Class" reboot, which concluded in 2000.

The "Saved by the Bell" cast also experienced the loss of co-star Dustin Diamond, who died in 2021 at the age of 44 after a battle with stage 4 cancer.