Dennis Haskins’ cause of death has been confirmed as Parkinson’s disease.
The actor, 75, who spent over a decade playing Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” died Sept. 27 at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, according to his death certificate obtained Tuesday. The document also listed irritable bowel syndrome, depression, hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia as significant contributing conditions.
His longtime friend and caretaker first confirmed the death to WTVC, a Chattanooga, Tennessee, news outlet in the actor’s hometown. The news rippled quickly through Hollywood and across social media, where former co-stars and fans began sharing memories of the man behind one of television’s most recognizable principals.
Jay Schachter, Haskins’ agent of more than two decades, told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement that the loss was devastating to those who knew him personally. “It’s a tragic loss. Everyone loved Mr. Belding, and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more. He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED, his fans,” Schachter said.
“He always had time for them, no matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”
What few fans knew was that Haskins had been quietly fighting Parkinson’s for roughly eight years before his death. Dimples, a karaoke bar in Burbank where Haskins was a regular fixture and considered his “second home,” revealed the private battle in an Instagram post shortly after his passing.
“He had been silent about his fight with Parkinson’s, among other health concerns, because he did not want the attention. He did not want to have to tell people. He would say, ‘What do I even say?’ So I respected his wishes and stayed quiet, and I helped him through his journey into the next chapter of his life,” the bar’s post read.
“What a cool and amazing life he had. Rest in peace, Dennis. You were very much loved and will never be forgotten.”
Sarah Quinones, Haskins’ ex-wife, later said that the actor had kept his Parkinson’s diagnosis private even from those closest to him. She claimed he stopped responding to her and to friends who tried to reach out about his health during his final stretch at an assisted living facility.
The secrecy surrounding his condition stood in sharp contrast to the public warmth he had long shown admirers. Schachter’s emphasis on Haskins’ devotion to fans underscored a performer who, despite declining health, never stopped engaging with the audience that grew up watching him patrol the halls of Bayside High.
Haskins’ final public appearance came years before his death. He was photographed smiling in a suit at a Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs game on Dec. 29, 2018, at what was then called Staples Center and is now Crypto.com Arena. The image captured him seemingly in good spirits, giving no outward indication of the progressive neurological disease he was already managing.
The Chattanooga native built his career largely around a single indelible role. From 1989 to 1993, and again in various spin-offs and reboots, Haskins portrayed Belding with a blend of exasperation and unexpected heart that turned the principal into more than a stock authority figure. The character’s catchphrases and comic timing made him a fixture of 1990s teen television.
Born in the same Tennessee city where news of his death would eventually be first reported, Haskins parlayed the “Saved by the Bell” role into decades of convention appearances, cameos, and steady work that kept him connected to the franchise and its devoted following. The karaoke bar Dimples became a particular refuge, a place where he could step out of the principal’s office and into a more casual spotlight.
His ex-wife’s account of being shut out in those final months, along with friends who tried to check in, painted a picture of a man who controlled the narrative of his own decline until the very end. The assisted living facility where he spent his last period of life became, by Quinones’ description, a kind of fortress where even well-wishers could not penetrate.
With the death certificate now public, the full scope of Haskins’ hidden health struggles has come into clearer focus. Beyond Parkinson’s, the listed conditions suggest a body under multiple strains in its final years, yet one that the actor chose not to discuss publicly.
Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater on “Saved by the Bell,” was among the co-stars who paid tribute following the initial announcement of Haskins’ death. Lark Voorhies, who portrayed Lisa Turtle, also shared remembrances of her former colleague.