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"Riverdale" star KJ Apa -- who played Luke Perry's son on the show -- has broken his silence on the "Beverly Hills, 90210" star's death.

Apa posted a photo of Perry on a boat with the caption, "Rest in Love bro" Thursday night. The photo and message were the first we've heard from Apa since Perry's death on Monday.

Perry played Fred Andrews on the popular CW show ... Apa starred as Archie Andrews, Fred's son. Apa is among the countless other casts from the show to pay tribute to the late actor -- along with the writers and execs, who have dedicated the rest of the show's run to Perry

TMZ broke the story ... Perry died Monday at a hospital in Los Angeles surrounded by family, friends and loved ones. He suffered a massive stroke last Wednesday at his home and was rushed to the hospital where his condition never improved.

"Riverdale" paid tribute to Perry Wednesday night with a message at the end of the episode.

Perry was 52.

RIP

There's a new twist in one of the federal investigations into R. Kelly -- a new witness who's corroborating 2 women's allegations of sexual misconduct.

Gloria Allred tells TMZ ... a woman has come forward with details that support the claims Latresa Scaff and Rochelle Washington -- Allred's clients -- made about Kelly attacking them after a Baltimore concert in 1995.

As we reported, Latresa and Rochelle claim R. Kelly picked them out of the crowd, plied them with drugs and alcohol, invited them to his hotel room and had sex with Latresa without her consent. Both women were minors at the time.

We're told the witness -- who is going only by her first name, Sabrina -- says she saw Latresa and Rochelle in the hotel lobby the night of the alleged incident. She says she noticed Latresa bent over in pain getting out of the hotel elevator.

Sabrina says she offered help and when she asked what happened ... they said R. Kelly assaulted Latresa. We're told Sabrina came forward after seeing Latresa and Rochelle's recent news conference.

We're told all 3 women have spoken to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

They came together Thursday for an interview with a Maryland reporter, and we're told Latresa was crying tears of joy due to Sabrina's support.

3/8 -- Manafort appeared in his inmate jumpsuit in court, and the scene was captured by a sketch artist inside.

Paul Manafort is going away for a little while -- a judge just sentenced him to 47 months in prison ... which means he could be a free man again relatively soon.

President Trump's former campaign chair was sentenced Thursday after being found guilty on 8 criminal counts, ranging from tax fraud to bank fraud ... not to mention laundering more than $18 million to fuel his lavish lifestyle.

Manafort was facing a maximum of 80 years in prison, but federal prosecutors recommended he get up to 25 years. Clearly, the 69-year-old caught a huge break with the judge.

As we reported ... Manafort's charges stemmed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential Russian collusion with the Trump campaign leading up to the 2016 election.

The sentencing is the climax of Manafort's tumble from political power -- the FBI raided his house in VA and seized tons of documents ... he was eventually indicted on multiple federal charges, and surrendered to the FBI.

Although he was out on bail, he got sent back to jail for violating his bail conditions. Mueller's office accused him of witness tampering and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say he urged 2 witnesses in his case to commit perjury in his defense.

Manafort's been sitting in solitary confinement since June -- and, reportedly, he's mostly been doing it in a wheelchair or using a cane due to his declining health. His lawyers said in court filings he's battling gout.

The big question is will Trump pardon Manafort?

Forget the Grammys, R. Kelly should be up for an Oscar after his over-the-top performance during Gayle King's interview ... so says one of the first women to speak out about Kelly's alleged sexual abuse.

Sparkle, the singer who had a hit song with R. Kelly in 1998, was on "TMZ Live" Thursday and said the real reason Kelly's losing it on camera is because it's all getting too real.

Translation: he's staring down the possibility of hard time in prison and he's terrified.

As you know ... Kelly wore his emotions on his sleeve in his first interview since being arrested on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse, looking distraught and exploding in tears. All of that coming the day before he got locked up in Cook County jail, again, for failure to pay child support.

Cops working the Jussie Smollett case allegedly had seriously loose lips, and now the police force is launching an internal investigation.

Chicago PD tells us its Chief of Detectives opened the investigation out of concerns the force was leaking like a sieve. CPD adds there's been a ton of "inaccurate" info in the media, and they want to know who's putting it out there.

A police spokesman tells TMZ ... "When there are allegations of information being leaked, an internal investigation has been opened and we are also looking at our vulnerabilities."

Smollett's attorney, Mark Geragos, blasted the police during a CNN appearance saying the leaks were a thinly veiled attempt to skewer the actor.

Kanye West's hit collab with Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi left out another featured artist ... at least according to the guy suing all 3 rap stars for stealing his voice.

"Kids See Ghosts" dropped back in June 2018 ... big hit for Ye and co. -- but the song doesn't open with any of their voices. A guy named Ronald Oslin Bobb-Semple says the first voice you hear is his. It's a portion of a 45-minute presentation Ronald's been performing around the world for decades now ... according to the suit.

Ronald says his presentation is a tribute to Marcus Garvey, the historic pioneer for black rights in the Americas. In the suit, he points out Ye, Cudi and Ty have received accolades and "substantial profits" from "Kids See Ghosts" -- but he hasn't seen a dime.

He says it's time for all 3 men to pay the piper, and yeah ... Ronald's the piper.

Kiefer Sutherland plays POTUS on his TV show, but says he doesn't need an actual President -- like say, Barack Obama -- to consult on it ... he already has the next best thing.

"Designated Survivor" -- which stars Kiefer as the Prez -- just jumped from ABC to Netflix, and you know Obama already has a production deal with the streaming service. So, we asked Kiefer at LAX if there's any chance they'd hook up.

Believe it or not, he took a hard pass, but only because 44's already had a huge impact on 2 seasons of 'Designated.' Turns out, one of Kiefer's costars worked for the Obama administration. Check out the clip if you don't know which one.

Kanye West's attempts to get out of his contract with EMI are ridiculous, legally speaking, and he knows it -- especially because he's signed multiple extensions ... at least, according to the record label.

EMI is now suing Kanye in federal court over his publishing deal. According to the suit, Ye signed the contract in 2003, and received "tens of millions of dollars" from EMI as a result. The label says some of that money was paid to him after he signed 7 different modifications and/or extensions to the deal.

The twist here is that EMI says the contracts are clear that NY laws govern the deal. That's important because as we reported ... West sued EMI in California, claiming the contract amounts to "servitude" because it's a personal services contract lasting more than 7 years.

He's right ... in Cali, it would be. But, EMI points out in its lawsuit, NY State is a different story ... there's no such 7-year rule there. Plus, EMI is shooting down Kanye's claim the deal is a personal services contract.

EMI wants the court to declare the contracts are valid, and Kanye's gotta stick to it. The label also wants the court to block Kanye's lawsuit.

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia and "has chosen to completely retire from public life" ... his family announced Thursday.

Seaver -- a World Series champ, 13-time All-Star and 3-time Cy Young winner -- played in the majors from 1968 to '86 ... and was a first-ballot entry into Cooperstown.

"Tom will continue to work in his beloved vineyard at his California home" the statement says ... explaining that he will no longer make public appearances.

"The family is deeply appreciative of those who have supported Tom throughout his career, on and off the field, and who do so now by honoring his request for privacy."

Seaver is one of the greatest to ever wear a Mets jersey -- he had his No. 41 jersey retired in 1988 and was given the nicknames "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise" during his playing days.

Seaver also played for the Reds, White Sox and Red Sox ... raking in 311 wins.

Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford's son, Presley Gerber, has officially been charged with DUI after being arrested for drunk driving earlier this year.

The L.A. District Attorney's Office filed charges Thursday against the 19-year-old model -- one count of DUI and another of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 ... both misdemeanors. If convicted, Presley faces up to 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine ... but the judge will usually cut a first offender some slack.

TMZ broke the story ... Presley was arrested for DUI right after New Year's Day, when cops say they pulled him over early in the morning for speeding through Beverly Hills in his Tesla. Cops say he reeked of booze, and busted him after he failed a field sobriety test.

Seeing how Presley's only 19, California law is much more strict when it comes to drinking and driving. Anything at or above .01 will get ya arrested.

Presley's lawyer, Scott Spindel, told us at the time of the arrest that his client took the allegations seriously and would take the necessary steps to deal with them.

Although young, the kid has already made a name for himself in the modeling world -- having done campaigns for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana as well as Vogue.

The husband and wife stars of "Tanked" got into a nasty fight at home that ended with him getting roughed up and her in handcuffs ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Heather King was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas after she allegedly slapped her husband, Wayde, in the face and kicked him in the stomach twice during a heated argument.

We're told cops were called to their house and noticed visible redness on the right side of Wayde's stomach. He also told police when Heather drove away, he was hanging out the window of her car.

Our sources say Heather admitted to cops she slapped Wayde, but only because he wouldn't let her leave a room -- and she also denies dragging him with her car.

Heather was booked for misdemeanor domestic violence, and has been released from custody.

The couple's Animal Planet show follows Acrylic Tank Manufacturing, an aquarium company in Vegas owned by Wayde and his brother-in-law, Brett Raymer. Brett is Heather's bro, and she's the accountant.

The show has installed incredible fish tanks and aquariums into the homes of several celebs ... like Tracy Morgan, Alyssa Milano, Shaq, Neil Patrick Harris, Betty White, David Hasselhoff, Howie Mandel, and Ludacris.

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY ... Jim Ross is leaving WWE.

The 67-year-old legend made the announcement on "The Jim Ross Report" podcast on Thursday -- explaining he'll be leaving the company later this month when his contract expires.

"My WWE contract after 26 years will expire on Friday, March 29," Ross said.

"And, after talking a couple of weeks ago with Vince McMahon, we have mutually agreed I need to move on."

While noting the move is on good terms, Ross suggested powerful people in the organization clearly wanted him out.

"I still think I can do play-by-play even though others that may surround Vince think I can't."

Ross says he's leaving the company "with great thoughts, very positive."

"I've made a lot of money, Vince is amazing to Jan and myself. He set us up for life financially, of which I can never repay him."

"I'm 67, I still feel I can get the job done doing wrestling play-by-play, and I want to explore that opportunity and possibility," Ross said.

So, what's next for Ross? There are rumblings he will sign with the new AEW wrestling organization -- but nothing is official at this point.

Ross has been calling matches for WWE since the early '90s and has been part of the company's biggest moments.

After calling The Undertaker's match at WrestleMania 33 in 2017, he signed a 2-year contract to call special events for WWE. The last time he was on-air was back in April to work the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.

Dak Prescott's pit bull is possibly facing the death penalty after attacking a neighbor in Frisco, Texas last week ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Prescott's dog, Icon, was quarantined last Monday after it escaped from the Dallas Cowboys QB's home and attacked a woman who was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Icon was supposed to be held in quarantine for 10 days -- which means it was scheduled to be released today -- but there's been a change of plans due to the seriousness of the incident.

Law enforcement tells us ... the case has been referred to the City of Frisco Municipal Court for a hearing to determine if the dog will be, or should be classified as a "dangerous dog."

If found to be dangerous, we're told there are multiple options on how to deal with it -- one of the options is euthanasia.

One official tells us the goal is to work with all parties for an amicable resolution -- but putting the dog to sleep is a real possibility. Another option could be removing the dog from city limits.

Michael Cohen says Donald Trump left him and high dry the second things got hot, and went back on a promise to cover all of Cohen's legal fees related to the Mueller investigation.

Cohen just filed a lawsuit against the Trump Organization for more than a million bucks -- money he says was supposed to be paid to his lawyers. In the suit, Cohen says shortly after he was first subpoenaed, Donald's co. agreed to cover all of his attorney's fees.

That was in July 2017, and Cohen says all seemed to be going well. In October, his attorneys got a check for $137,460 from the Trump Org. -- and that continued until May 2018. He says Trump's company eventually covered $1.7 million of his legal expenses.

But, when Trump's former right-hand man flipped in June 2018 ... the relationship soured. Funny how that goes. Trump started distancing himself from Cohen. In fact, Cohen recalls his former boss saying in June, "I haven't spoken to Michael in a long time. He's not my lawyer anymore."

According to the suit, the well ran dry that same month ... and Cohen says a total of $1,037,868 remains unpaid to his high-powered law firm. Most attorneys frown upon working for free, and Cohen says they indeed pulled out ... which hurt his case.

Remember, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for tax fraud and campaign finance violations.

7:45 AM PT-- Kelly directly addressed his failure to pay child support during his CBS interview ... and is blaming his ex-wife, Drea. He claims her "lies" about his abuse are the very reason he can't make money to pay her.

R. Kelly's lying through his teeth when he says he's trying to have a relationship with his children, because he's had a chance to for years and ignored it.

Sources close to the situation are calling BS on some of Kelly's antics with CBS News ... particularly the part of about "trying to have a relationship with my kids." We're told the singer hasn't even tried to reach out to his 3 children with his ex-wife, Drea Kelly, since 2017.

As we reported ... the singer went ballistic during his interview with Gayle King, and at one point screamed he was only trying to repair ties with his kids and didn't care about his career.

Our sources say that's all for show -- after all, we're told he changed his number and never gave it to Drea.

Speaking of Drea ... she maintains she's open to Kelly reconnecting with their children, who are adults now -- which is somewhat surprising, considering how she ripped into him in the "Surviving R. Kelly" docuseries.

Kelly's daughter, Buku Abi, also says she and her siblings have been estranged from their father for years. Although, she called him a "monster" ... Kelly, ironically, chalks that up to brainwashing from Drea.

Either way, Kelly has definitely come up short with his kids when it comes to child support ... which is why he was arrested again Wednesday. As we reported, he'll need to fork over more than $161k to Drea to be released.

9:50 AM PT -- Luke's "Riverdale" costar, Camila Mendes, has also shared a touching tribute, saying ... "he took care of us all. an authentic man who took pleasure in offering us his guidance and wisdom. his presence was healing; he had the ability to make you feel comfortable and at ease within seconds of seeing him."

She added ... "we lost a dear friend. my heart hurts for his family and anybody who had the pleasure of knowing him. rest in peace, luke. although you’re no longer around to wrap me in the warmth of your hug, i can still remember what it felt like. whenever i think of you, i will remember that feeling."

9:15 AM PT -- Another one of Luke's former '90210' costars, Tiffani Thiessen, has shared a tribute to him as well. She says he welcomed her with open arms when she joined the well-established show, took her under his wing and made her feel like part of his TV family.

Tiffani adds ... "He was sincere, sweet, warm, kind, professional and funny as all heck. And most of all, the definition of a gentleman. Luke, our world has a hole in it now that you aren’t here. But heaven definitely gained you as an angel."

Jason Priestley just broke his silence on the passing of Luke Perry ... with a touching tribute to his late friend and former costar.

The "Beverly Hills, 90210" star penned an emotional tribute on Instagram Thursday ... saying Luke was taken from this world far too soon. He wrote, "It's taken me a couple of days to figure out how to write this ... My dear friend of 29 years, Luke Perry, was one of those truly special people who really cared."

He added, "Luke was not only a star, he was an incredibly bright light that was extinguished far too soon... and that is why I, and so many others, are in so much pain today... if you had the good fortune to know Luke, or to have ever crossed his path, I know you are sad today as well."

Jason's thoughtful tribute came a few days after Luke died from a massive stroke he'd suffered 5 days earlier. Their characters -- Brandon Walsh and Dylan McKay -- were close friends on the '90s teen drama, and that friendship continued offscreen.

Jason's tribute comes on the heels of "Riverdale" also honoring Luke after resuming production. Wednesday night's episode -- the first to air since Luke's passing -- closed with an "In Memoriam" tribute.

As you know ... "Riverdale" has dedicated the rest of the show to Luke, who played Archie's dad on the hit CW series. The show's executive producer referred to Luke as "Our heart, always."

Jason echoed that sentiment ... "The candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long.... you burned oh, so brightly Luke... Goodnight Sweet Prince."