Lisa Turtle herself, Lark Voorhies, felt “slighted and hurt” after not being asked to join the Saved by the Bell sequel
The upcoming Saved By the Bell revival series on NBC’s forthcoming streaming site, Peacock, slowly but surely pulled OG cast members into the mix. The first to sign on were Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano) and Mario Lopez (A.C. Slater). Then Zack Morris himself—Mark-Paul Gosselaar—finally jumped in to reprise his iconic role. He then confirmed that Tiffani Thiessen (Kelly Kapowski) would be involved “in some capacity.” However, fan-favorite Lark Voorhies, who played fashion icon Lisa Turtle, says she wasn’t even asked to join in on the sequel fun.
On an upcoming February 19th episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Voorhies admits that she felt “slighted and hurt” when she found out of about the Saved By the Bell revival and was never asked to join the cast.
“I have to admit I did feel a bit slighted and hurt when I was not invited,” Voorhies tells host Dr. Mehmet Oz.
She continues, opening up about her personal history, as well as her history on Saved By the Bell.
"Yet, of course, I also realize that having this puzzling disorder may have played a major part in that factual decision. With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful.
"I have to admit I did feel a bit slighted and hurt."
"Saved by the Bell" star Lark Voorhies joins me Wednesday to discuss her mental health, as well as her feelings about not being included in an upcoming reboot of the show. pic.twitter.com/mLYQ4aRpoF
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) February 18, 2020
In clips from the episode, Voorhies opens up about her struggle with mental illness—specifically her bipolar disorder, with which she was diagnosed in 2012. She talks about how her disorder has kept her from maintaining relationships with her former Saved castmates, and she explains that although she’s happy they all get together once in a while, she wishes she could join them.
When Dr. Oz shows a photo of the cast getting together to celebrate “30 years of friendship” without her, Voorhies says that she feels “empowered.”
"They have the right to do that, and they’re happy in their element, and they can have it, certainly, she said, according to the LA Times, before admitting that she wished they would include her. “What family isn’t kept complete without its lead?
It’s a hard pill to swallow knowing that fashionista and gossip queen Lisa Turtle will so far be a no-show in the revival. false
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/1229976319515033600
So sad. Lisa Turtle was my favorite character. Classy yet so funny. I wish they had more focus on her character and not as just a foil for Screech. It was the performance of Lark that brought so much life and depth to her. Best wishes Lark!
— Roger Jimenez (@gobomo83) February 19, 2020
However, we understand how important it is for Voorhies to focus on her mental health and keep taking strides to feel happier and healthier.
