Us Weekly pays tribute to the celebrities who passed away in 2021 \u2014 photos<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s never easy to say goodbye. Larry King, Christopher Plummer and Cecily Tyson are among the celebrities who died in 2021, leaving those in their wake heartbroken. Dustin Diamond died on February 1 at age 44 after a battle with stage IV small cell carcinoma. \u201cHe was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago. In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution,\u201d his rep told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. \u201cDustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.\u201d The actor\u2019s Saved by the Bell costars paid tribute to him after news of his death. \u201cI\u2019m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius. My sincere condolences to his family and friends,\u201d Mark-Paul Gosselaar told Us in a statement. \u201cLooking 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.\u201d Mario Lopez, meanwhile, wrote via Instagram: \u201cDustin, 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.\u201d Tiffani Thiessen echoed Lopez\u2019s sentiments in an Instagram post of her own. \u201cI am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing,\u201d she captioned a photo of Diamond. \u201cLife is extremely fragile and it\u2019s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.\u201d Later that month, fans lost an iconic figure in Christopher Plummer, who died at age 91. \u201cChris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self deprecating humor and the music of words,\u201d his longtime manager said in a statement to Us on February 5. \u201cHe was a National Treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will forever be with us.\u201d The Oscar winner\u2019s Sound of Music costar Julie Andrews honored him after his death. \u201cThe world has lost a consummate actor today. And I have lost a cherished friend,\u201d the actress told Us in a statement. \u201cI treasure the memories of our work together and all the humor and fun we shared through the years. My heart and condolences go out to his lovely wife Elaine, and his daughter Amanda.\u201d Scroll down to see Us \u2019 tribute to the celebrities who died in 2021.<\/p>\n