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Ezekiel Elliott has been suspended for 6 games following the NFL's yearlong domestic violence investigation into the Dallas Cowboys star, the league confirms.

The league says the investigation found "substantial and persuasive evidence" that Zeke engaged in physical violence against the accuser.

The league also told Elliott if he violates league policy ever again he could possibly be BANNED from the NFL for life.

Zeke was accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend 5 different times in 6 days back in July 2016.

Cops investigated the allegations but decided there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute.

The NFL conducted its own investigation and apparently felt there was enough evidence to suspend him.

The NFL issued a statement saying, "Over the course of the last year, the league conducted an extensive investigation. League investigators interviewed more than a dozen witnesses, including Ms. Tiffany Thompson, who had alleged multiple instances of physical violence in July 2016, and Mr. Elliott."

"The league also consulted with medical experts. League investigators examined all available evidence, including photographic and digital evidence, thousands of text messages and other records of electronic communications."

The NFL says Roger Goodell consulted with 4 external advisors before deciding punishment.

Elliott denied any wrongdoing -- but the accuser has maintained he attacked her. In fact, she put up a statement last month doubling down on the allegations against Zeke and saying people like her need to speak up and stop domestic violence.

Elliott's made headlines for all the wrong reasons this offseason -- he was caught exposing a woman's bare breast at a St. Patrick's Day parade and was accused of attacking a man in a Dallas bar in July.

Adam Schefter says the NFL factored in the St. Patrick's Day incident when meting out punishment.

Zeke wasn't arrested or charged with any crime for either incident ... but it's been reported the league would take these incidents into consideration when determining his punishment.

The news will undoubtedly come as a shock to Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, who just told us THIS WEEK that Zeke would NOT be suspended.

Allegations that R. Kelly's the mastermind behind an abusive "cult" are now in the crosshairs of one major official in Atlanta ... and he's calling for a criminal investigation.

According to Fulton County Chairman John Eaves, the Johns Creek Police Department has uncovered new evidence against the singer ... and Eaves is demanding an investigation. Although he's unclear on what the evidence is, Eaves says it's enough for the D.A.'s office to jump on the case ... as first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The reign of The Rock's famous bull tattoo is OVER.

Long live the reign of his new one.

He calls it "Evolution of the Bull" -- 22 hours of tattoo work to cover up the famous bull head he's sported on his arm ever since he burst on to the scene as a WWE superstar.

But Rock -- real name Dwayne Johnson -- says he decided to change his body part to reflect his own personal history.

"From the cracks and heavy damage in the bone representing life's hard lessons I've learned over the years. Just like scars and wrinkles - I'm so grateful to have 'em because they're earned. To the horns, not pointing up or out to the side, but pointing straight ahead representing relentless energy and forward progress."

Rock says the eye tells the story of a "disruptive positive energy always ready to dent the universe."

Good for Rock. It's his body. He can do what he wants.

But we kinda liked the old one.

Miley Cyrus is either a married woman or she's just screwing with us ... and we think it's the latter.

Miley was spotted out Thursday with what looks like a wedding band during a shoot with "The Voice" in Malibu. She's clearly showing off the hardware for the cam.

What's more ... we got this pic of her fiance, Liam Hemsworth, over the weekend sporting a similar band.

So, are they married is the question. Someone in daily and close contact with Miley tells us "100% no."

If she's just messin' with everyone ... good on her.

Elon Musk and Amber Heard are in an on-again/off-again relationship, but it's unclear which it is right now.

Elon and Amber issued a joint statement Friday morning calling out media outlets that have mischaracterized their relationship. As for what their relationship is ... well, based on the statement, it's complicated.

Here's what they say ... "The distance has been really tough on our relationship, because we haven't been able to see each other much. All relationships have their ups and downs, of course."

The statement goes on ... "We would like to state directly that we have the utmost respect for one another, and it would be troubling if anyone had the impression that we thought otherwise."

It ends this way ... "It is worth bearing in mind that events are always amplified and dramatized in a high profile relationship, whether the people involved like it or not (and we definitely don't). The reality is that this is just a normal relationship with a giant magnifying glass applied."

BTW ... Elon was spotted Thursday at a coffee shop in Australia.

So, on a break?

The White House is now a disaster ... by design.

1600 Pennsylvania is a construction zone ... the Oval Office empty, heavy equipment shielding the exterior ... the press room looking like a scene from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."

It's all part of plan to upgrade the heating and air conditioning systems, along with other improvements.

That's why President Trump got outta dodge, along with everyone else for the month of August.

After all, if it really is a swamp, you need good A.C.

Marlon Wayans says black people have a HUGE advantage post-nuclear war.

We got one of the Bros at LAX Thursday and asked about the booming bomb shelter biz ... and he says he's about to join the rush.

Thing is ... Marlon keys in on a critical issue -- food. If the only food source remaining on earth are rodents, he says black people have skills that white people can't touch. Put differently, fricasseeing a rat blows, but it's a whole different animal with Lawry's and flour.

The woman who is suing Usher, alleging he hooked up with her at a hotel, is telling the truth ... so claims a woman who says she worked at the hotel.

Quantasia Sharpton appeared at a news conference with lawyer, Lisa Bloom, and said she was picked from the crowd at an Usher concert and invited backstage to meet the singer. She says one of Usher's people took her phone number, and the next thing she knew she got a call from him and he ended up at her hotel where they had sexual relations. She says he never told her he had genital herpes.

We found out the concert in question was in Atlantic City, New Jersey on November 15, 2014. Sharpton was at the concert -- we know that because we found this pic of her with August Alsina, Usher's opening act at the venue.

Notice she's wearing a birthday tiara. She says although she was at the show celebrating her birthday, the concert was held several weeks after she turned 19. That checks out ... her birthday is in late October.

Someone who says she worked at the Days Inn in Atlantic City -- less than a mile from the concert venue -- tells TMZ she saw Usher come into the lobby shortly after midnight on November 16. She says Sharpton came down, greeted the singer in the lobby and brought him to her room.

She says she asked Usher for a pic and he said he'd take one with her before leaving the hotel. She says she waited an hour but he never returned.

Sources connected with Quantasia say she did indeed stay at the Days Inn the night of the concert, and that is where she is claiming she had sex with Usher.

As we reported, sources connected to Usher told us the singer did not have sex with Sharpton because she wasn't his type. The woman who contacted us did so because she says she was offended by the comment.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott kept it low-key for her 20th birthday ... maybe they're saving the bang for her 21st.

Kylie and Travis hit up Cinepolis Theater in L.A. on Thursday night. Unclear why Kylie's hiding her face ... she's been plastering her mug and curves all over Instagram leading up to and on her birthday. Not that we're complaining.

Khloe and her NBA superstar bf, Tristan Thompson, also tagged along for movie night. Not sure what flick they checked out ... but couldn't have been better than this chick.

Michael Flynn doesn't want anything to do with the raging Russian brouhaha ... that he made clear.

We got Trump's former National Security Adviser Friday morning at Reagan National Airport in D.C. ... and he bristled at our photog who asked if the end game of the Democrats is to impeach the Prez.

If Mitch Trubisky isn't the Chicago Bears starting QB in Week 1, "You've got problems" -- so says Bears legend Mike Ditka.

To say Da Coach was impressed with the rookie's preseason debut Thursday night is a gross understatement ... Ditka believes it's TRUB OR CONSEQUENCES!

"What I saw out of Trubiksy for a rookie in his first game I thought was outstanding."

Trub -- the #2 pick in the draft -- went 18-25 for 166 yards and a TD after replacing starting QB Mike Glennon who went 2-8 for 20 yards and an interception.

Ditka thinks the decision is obvious ... and says Mitch made a better first impression than guys like Tom Brady and Fran Tarkenton.

Anthony Scaramucci belatedly got the 'SNL' treatment courtesy of 'SNL' alum, Bill Hader ... and it was, well, a day too late.

It kinda felt like calling Scaramucci "The Mooch" was a new thing, even though it was kinda played out a couple weeks ago. And the Steve Bannon autofellatio gag was last month's news cycle.

Nevertheless, Hader did a good impression.

And, the last joke is pretty funny.

One thing's clear ... the 'SNL' folks must have been apoplectic when the Mooch resigned 11 days in.

The "Big Brother" house is a cauldron of sexual shenanigans ... or so it seems judging from the 24-hour live feeds.

It's shocking ... a male cast member grabbing Jessica Graf's vagina, women butt poking men, men butt poking women, men butt poking men, and it's all on video.

TMZ broke the story ... Jessica appeared to start it, and it seemed it was to the dismay of other housemates. But now we see, it's become a thing in the house.

These latest clips show Matthew Clines, Paul Abrahamian, Ramses Soto and Elena Davies all partaking in a sneak butt poke or two. Paul gets 2 off, both on male cast members ... one of whom Elena also pokes. Jessica Graf even accuses Matt of punching her vagina ... and her roommates laugh.

It's interesting ... Matt called Jessica a sexual predator when she poked his ass, and Paul later complained to Kevin about Jessica's ongoing poke joke in the house.

We got Les Moonves out at Craig's last night and he said he hadn't seen the footage of Jessica, but he would watch it today.

Aaron Carter was overcome with emotion after he was embraced by the crowd in a gay bar where he performed ... the first such appearance since he came out as bisexual.

Aaron performed at Hamburger Mary's near his hometown in Brandon, Florida, and dropped the new song "Hard to Love", written about his ex-GF.

Tennis superstar Victoria Azerenka is furious a judge has given her a real-life Sophie's choice -- tennis or her kid -- that is making her drop out the US open.

The former #1 player in the world is locked in a nasty dispute with Billy McKeague -- the father of her 8-month-old son, Leo. The two split back in July.

Here's the problem ... McKeague filed custody papers in L.A. (where Victoria has a home) and the case has gone to a judge who told Azerenka she's not allowed to take the child out of California while the custody trial rages ... and it's not going to end until October at the earliest.

The dilemma -- the US Open kicks off August 28 in New York. Victoria will not leave her child -- whom she's been breastfeeding until a month ago -- with McKeague because she doesn't believe he's capable of caring for the kid.

Her attorney, "Disso Queen" Laura Wasser, told the judge her client is more than willing to buy a plane ticket for McKeague and put him up in a hotel for the 2-week tournament, but the judge said no.

Wasser also told the judge her client already has a valid custody order from Belarus, the country where Victoria, Leo and and Billy are all residents, so it should be game, set, match. But for some reason the judge won't defer to the Belarus court.

Casey Affleck must have forgotten he was at an airport and not home plate -- 'cause he casually tried bringing a baseball bat onto a plane.

We got Casey Thursday at LAX rushing to catch a flight, with bag and bat in hand ... and a ton of confidence he'd get through TSA.

When we ask if he really thinks he'd get past with the equipment, he says we'll see ... and see we did.

After what looks like several earnest attempts to persuade, Casey gets a definitive answer with one head movement.

Casey could have checked the bat, but decided to surrender it, and scurried to his plane.