CELEBRITY JUSTICE ™

Tee Grizzley's done some hard time, so he speaks from experience when he explains what R. Kelly and Jussie Smollett should expect behind bars ... if they end up getting locked up.

We got the Detroit rapper at LAX Friday afternoon ... he tells us there's a big difference between what he went to prison for and what the singer and actor have been charged with -- it all comes down to honor.

Tee says R. Kelly and Jussie are the kind of guys who might get preyed upon, not just because of what they're accused of ... but because they have money.

Watch the clip ... Grizzley makes their outlook seem pretty bleak, and he doesn't have any good advice for them either.

R. Kelly just surrendered to police in Chicago ... turning himself in after being charged with sexual abuse of 4 girls, at least 3 of whom were minors.

The embattled R&B singer turned himself in Friday night at a Chicago police station.

As we reported ... prosecutors in Chicago hit Kelly with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse Friday morning, and 9 of the 10 counts involve alleged victims ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old. There are 4 alleged victims in total, and one of them is the subject of 4 different counts.

According to the criminal complaint, the allegations include oral and vaginal sex with a girl between the ages of 13 and 17 ... and the allegations are extremely graphic.

Michael Avenatti says he's representing at least 1 of the alleged victims in the Kelly indictment ... and he says the new sex tape he turned over to prosecutors shows R. Kelly engaging in sex acts with a 14-year-old girl -- vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex and urination.

Avenatti says he's planning to go after R. Kelly's enablers -- lawyers, managers, agents and others whom he says stood idly by and protected the singer as he sexually abused young girls. Avenatti's mission ... bringing them to justice.

Avenatti also claims Kelly's 2008 trial -- in which he was found not guilty -- was rigged by threats and payoffs.

Jussie Smollett might have gotten the idea to stage his own attack after Lee Daniels talked about his cousin getting assaulted because he's gay ... at least that's what some members of the "Empire" cast think.

Sources close to the "Empire" production tell TMZ ... some cast members think Jussie's gears started grinding in his head days after Lee posted a video on Instagram on January 10 calling out homophobia. In that same post, the "Empire" creator captioned it, "This past week my cousin was beat up for being gay and I am sick of hearing these stories."

Our sources say Lee then showed up to the set and shared more about the story. Everyone was visibly upset that Lee's family had gone through this horrific ordeal. The sources now say this might have been where Jussie got the idea to take matters into his own hands ... and become an LGBT hero.

The Chicago PD Superintendent says Jussie's motive was money -- he felt he was underpaid on the show. Interesting ... because Lee Daniels is the guy in charge of the cash register.

As you know by now ... cops say Jussie's "attack" was a hoax and allege the actor paid 2 Nigerian brothers $3,500 with a personal check. Jussie's been charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

3:45 PM PT -- Jerry Springer disagrees about R. Kelly having no shot at a fair trial, and for a case in point ... he says look no further than the O.J. Simpson trial.

Springer admits it might be difficult to find 12 impartial jurors -- and R. Kelly's lawyers will probably push for a change in venue -- but says the judicial system is set up the way it is for a reason.

R. Kelly's maintaining his innocence despite being charged with 10 counts of sexual abuse, but he thinks he's screwed anyway ... because he's already lost in the court of public opinion.

Sources close to the singer tell TMZ ... he believes it will be impossible for him to get a fair trial in the aftermath of Lifetime's docuseries, "Surviving R. Kelly," and nonstop media coverage -- especially in Chicago.

As one source put it ... "There isn't a person in Cook County who hasn't heard all the hateful things said about him."

We're told R. Kelly believes ... even if he presents evidence proving his innocence, the jury will still find him guilty. Our sources say he's moved on from panic attacks and has been in a depressed meltdown for days.

As we reported ... Cook County prosecutors hit R. Kelly with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse Friday morning. There are a total of 4 alleged victims, 3 of whom were between the ages of 13 to 16.

Attorney Michael Avenatti also released images from the video he submitted to the State's Attorney, showing what appears to be R. Kelly. He says the video shows the singer having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Avenatti blasted R. Kelly's enablers as well -- lawyers, agents, managers and others whom he says stood idly by as the singer sexually abused girls -- and says he won't stop until they're all brought to justice.

The Jussie Smollett "attack" has enraged millions of Americans, but for Killer Mike, it's no big deal.

We got the rapper Friday at LAX, and his take is very different from most. He says, after all, Jussie's an actor and actors assume roles. Here, he just allegedly assumed the role of a liar.

Killer Mike acknowledges Jussie screwed up but says a mea culpa will do, and after that, we all need to get a life and move on.

Robert Kraft's bad day might have just gotten a little better because he has a brand new ally in Bishop Don "Magic" Juan, who's telling the NFL to take it easy on the embattled Pats owner.

A warrant has been issued for Kraft's arrest in Florida on charges stemming from the bust of an illegal massage parlor where authorities alleged Kraft paid for sexual favors ... which he's denied.

We ran into the Bishop, a former "gentleman of leisure" (look it up) and he says the NFL should cut Bob a break.

"He definitely got a pass."

That's not all ... the Bishop says if Kraft wants a good time he should hit him up, as long as it's in Nevada, where paying for a little loving is legal some places.

We should say, Kraft's situation is no laughing matter, he faces a misdemeanor charge down in Florida, and a potential suspension by the NFL.

If R. Kelly wasn't about to surrender to police, he might end up in jail anyway ... because a judge is fed up with his failure to pay a ton of child support to his ex-wife.

A Cook County judge found R. Kelly in contempt earlier this month -- according to docs obtained by TMZ -- because he owes Drea Kelly $169,996 in support. The court says he was supposed to be paying her $20,833 per month as of January 2009 -- but he's obviously fallen off schedule in the last year.

The court order states R. Kelly needs to pay up by March 6, or he'll be locked up in County Jail. Obviously, the singer may see that as a moot point ... after he was hit with 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse on Friday. As we reported, Kelly is expected to surrender Friday night.

Make no mistake, it's no longer just raining ... it's an all out downpour in his world.

2:15 PM PT -- Michael Avenatti just said he represents at least 1 of the alleged victims in the R. Kelly indictment, and he reps a total of 2 victims, 2 parents and 2 whistleblowers who were part of the singer's inner circle. He says the videotape he submitted to prosecutors shows R. Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl -- vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex and urination. He says at one point the girl was forced to watch a video of R. Kelly, whom she called "daddy," having sex with another minor.

Avenatti says he is going after R. Kelly's enablers -- lawyers, agents, managers and others whom he says stood idly by as R. Kelly sexually abused girls. He says his mission is bringing them to justice.

And, Avenatti says the 2008 trial -- in which R. Kelly was found not guilty -- was rigged, with various forms of obstruction of justice and witness intimidation.

Avenatti says he has yet another video and is in the process of procuring a third video.

2:00 PM PT -- Avenatti just released this image from the video he submitted to the State's Attorney, showing what appears to be R. Kelly. He says the singer is having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

12:20 PM PT -- Cook County District Attorney Kim Foxx just read the charges and dates of when the alleged sex crimes occurred. She said the first victim was allegedly abused between May 26, 1998, and May 25, 1999. The second victim was between September 26, 1998, and September 25, 2001. The third victim on February 18, 2003. And, the fourth victim between May 1, 2009, and January 31, 2010.

Foxx also said "we anticipate [Kelly] will appear in bond court [Saturday] afternoon." She answered no questions in the brief news conference.

Michael Avenatti joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," explained why he felt it was so important to keep his months-long R. Kelly investigation under wraps. Of course, that investigation uncovered the latest alleged sex tape of Kelly.

12:00 PM PT -- According to the Associated Press, a no-bail arrest warrant has been issued for Kelly.

R. Kelly has been charged with 10 counts by the Cook County State's Attorney.

Prosecutors hit him with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse Friday morning. TMZ has learned 9 of the 10 counts involve alleged victims ranging in age from 13 to 16 years old. One of them is the subject of 4 different counts. There are a total of 4 alleged victims.

According to the complaint, the allegations include oral and vaginal sex with a girl between the ages of 13 and 16. The complaint says he "transmitted his semen onto [the alleged victim's] body for the purpose of Robert Kelly's or [the alleged victim's] sexual gratification or arousal, by the use of force or threat of force."

Sources connected to Kelly tell TMZ the singer plans to voluntarily turn himself in to authorities tonight. Still, prosecutors will reportedly appear before a judge today seeking an arrest warrant for him.

The criminal sexual abuse charge is a class 2 felony in Illinois, and each charge carries a max sentence of 3 to 7 years in prison. TMZ broke the story ... 2 women testified for the grand jury over the last week, including one who provided physical evidence. We're told as many as a dozen women came forward to testify.

A grand jury had convened about a week ago to investigate the alleged sex tape Michael Avenatti handed over to authorities.

Sources connected to the case tell us the tape was a pivotal force leading to the charges. We're told that Avenatti and his client spent a significant amount of time with the Cook County State's Attorney and the grand jury in the last few weeks.

As we reported, Avenatti says he uncovered the VHS tape after his clients alleged Kelly had been having sex with minors for years. The tape reportedly shows Kelly having sex with a girl who seems to be 14 -- with both Kelly and the girl referring to her genitals and other body parts as being 14 years old.

The charges come directly on the heels of 2 other Kelly accusers coming forward with their attorney Gloria Allred. The women allege sexual misconduct by Kelly in a Baltimore hotel room in 1998 ... when they were both underage teens.

It's still unclear when the new alleged sex tape was shot, but Avenatti said he was sure it fell within the statute of limitations.

Justin Gimelstob -- an ex-tennis star and broadcaster -- says he did NOT beat the hell out of a man during a trick-or-treating run last Halloween ... telling TMZ Sports he's not a violent person.

As we previously reported ... Gimelstob -- a former doubles champ who's coached tennis star John Isner -- was arrested after he allegedly roughed up a man named Randall Kaplan on Oct. 31, 2018.

According to Kaplan ... Gimelstob punched him "more than 50 times" in the face and head during the alleged assault and threatened to "f**king kill" him.

Gimelstob was charged with felony battery ... but when we got him out after his latest court date in L.A. on Thursday -- he told us he's an innocent man.

"I'm not the person that's been depicted here," Gimelstob says ... adding that he's NOT a violent person.

Gimelstob is facing up to 4 years in prison AND a fine of up to $10,000. He previously pled not guilty to the charge back in December.

Justin's due back in court next week.

Gimelstob was a star in doubles matches back in the late '90s ... winning with partner Venus Williams in both the 1998 Australian Open and 1998 French Open mixed doubles tournaments.

Jussie Smollett needs to know he still has throngs of backers -- who will remain by his side -- IF he would just admit the crimes he's committed ... at least according to his friend, Bishop O.C. Allen.

We got the influential Bishop -- who once served on President Obama's Advisory Council -- out in Atlanta and wanted to see if he had a message for the embattled "Empire" star.

Allen told us there is unwavering support for Smollett if he changes his tune. The Bishop says it's critical Jussie admit any wrongdoing.

Jussie and the Bishop are tight. They joined Lee Daniels and Sen. Cory Booker for a 2016 Hillary Clinton fundraiser, which was held at Bishop Allen's ATL home.

You know much of the "Empire" cast and crew wanted Smollett booted off the set -- and they got their wish Friday morning.

12:16 PM PT -- President Trump has weighed in on Kraft ... telling reporters in the Oval Office that he was "surprised" to learn about Kraft's prostitution charges ... but stressed the Patriots owner has denied doing anything illegal.

11:29 AM PT -- Investigators say they have videos of the men who paid for sex at the Asian massage parlor that Robert Kraft allegedly used ... and the footage is graphic.

According to police documents obtained by TMZ Sports, officials were able to get a covert surveillance camera inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida to record illicit activity.

Cops list a variety of sex acts performed on 26 men who entered the business -- one of whom cops say is Robert Kraft. Kraft is not identified by name in the police documents.

The police documents describe the surveillance video in graphic detail -- noting a pattern of behavior from the alleged Johns.

The men would enter the spa and pay up front (some used cash, others used credit cards) before being escorted back into a private massage room.

In almost every case, an Asian woman would tend to the client -- sometimes two women -- and perform sex acts using their hands and mouths.

It does not appear any of the suspects engaged in vaginal intercourse.

Cops say the surveillance videos capture every single detail of the encounters -- including ejaculation and subsequent cleanup.

11:10 AM PT -- The NFL has addressed the allegations ... saying "The NFL is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments.”

9:17 AM PT -- A spokesperson for Kraft tells TMZ Sports the NFL owner denies the allegations.

"We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is a wanted man -- cops say they've issued a warrant for his arrest as part of a recent prostitution, human trafficking sting operation in Jupiter, Florida.

Cops say 77-year-old Kraft will be charged with 2 counts of "soliciting another to commit prostitution," according to Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr.

Chief Kerr says he was "stunned as everybody else" when he saw Kraft's name as a suspect.

Officials say Kraft is accused of soliciting a prostitute on at least 2 separate occasions at a massage parlor in Florida roughly "a month ago."

Cops say the name of the establishment that Kraft visited is Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter.

Cops say they have obtained evidence from body cam video and surveillance that has been conducted over the last several months.

Officials say Kraft was driven to the spa by a chauffeur ... and say they have video of the Pats owner "that shows the act that took place" with him inside of the spa.

The average cost per visit for services was $59 for half an hour and $79 per hour, according to police.

As for the next steps, officials say the State's Attorney has the warrant and it will be sent to Kraft's home in Massachusetts.

Kraft has been charged with a misdemeanor and will have to appear in court.

So far, no official comment from either Kraft or the New England Patriots. We've also reached out to the NFL, as he will likely face discipline from the league.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation -- including Homeland Security, the IRS, the Jupiter P.D., Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and more.

Officials say the women accused of running the sex trafficking ring operated out of local spas which touted themselves as massage parlors.

The investigation took roughly 8 months and officials say they've identified more than 100 men suspected of being "Johns."

Robert Kraft bought the Patriots in January 1994 -- and has led the team to 6 Super Bowl championships and 10 AFC championships.

Kraft is also the owner of Major League Soccer's New England Revolution -- which has been to the MLS Cup Finals in 5 different seasons.

Kraft was married to Myra Kraft from 1963 to her death in 2011. He dated Ricki Noel Lander since 2012. Ricki has a child but she says Kraft is not the biological father.

Kraft is reportedly worth more than $6 BILLION according to Forbes, a fortune that stems from a paper-manufacturing conglomerate, which includes the Rand-Whitney Group.

Story developing ...

7:25 AM PT-- Fox just announced it's scratching Smollett from the end of the current season. The statement says, "The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of our EMPIRE family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out."

The statement continues, "We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of ‘Jamal’ from the final two episodes of the season.”

Fox says Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer all signed off on the decision to remove Jussie.

It's clear they heard the complaints of Smollett's cast members.

Jussie Smollett betrayed the trust of his "Empire" coworkers and damaged the show's image, and now several cast members want him written off immediately ... according to our sources.

We're told many of the "Empire" actors are "f**king furious" and feel if FOX honchos don't fire Jussie, he should quit on his own ... because he doesn't deserve a spot on the hit show.

The feelings of animosity stem from the fact everyone on set had Jussie's back after the "attack," but in light of the new evidence police have laid out ... many of them feel hurt and embarrassed.

We're told almost everyone on set is worried about how Smollett's damaged the show's reputation ... and could continue to do so if he remains part of the cast.

Now, our sources say there are still some cast and crew members who believe Jussie's telling the truth because they can't fathom him pulling off a hoax like this. We're told arguments have erupted over how best to handle the situation.

It seems Smollett is well aware of the dissension on set. TMZ broke the story ... Jussie showed up on set Thursday after the madness outside the court and apologized to everyone, but insisted he's innocent.

We're told he's changed his number because certain pissed off cast members were blowing up his phone. He's only given his new number to the people still in his corner.

Jussie was arrested Thursday and is facing a felony charge of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He was released from custody after posting a $10k bond and has been ordered to have no contact with the Osundairo brothers.

Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson says Jussie's dissatisfaction with his "Empire" salary motivated the ruse and claims Smollett was also responsible for the hate letter sent to Fox Studios.

A grand jury in Chicago has heard the testimony from 2 women who allege R. Kelly had sex with minors ... and we've learned one of them also turned over physical evidence.

Sources familiar with the hearing tell TMZ ... one alleged victim testified she was underage when she had sex with the singer in Illinois between 2008 and 2010. We're told she provided prosecutors with physical evidence to back her allegations. We do not know the nature of that evidence.

Our sources say the second woman told the grand jury she had knowledge of sexual encounters between R. Kelly and underage girls, and also corroborated details revealed in "Surviving R. Kelly."

We're told as many as a dozen accusers have come forward and testified before the grand jury since it convened, on the heels of attorney Michael Avenatti unearthing a new sex tape.

The tape allegedly shows R. Kelly engaging in multiple sex acts with a 14-year-old girl.

Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson says it's a lock -- Jussie Smollett sent that letter 8 days before the "attack" -- but various law enforcement sources tell TMZ the chief overstated things.

Federal law enforcement sources tell us they're still investigating the letter and have drawn no conclusions. Both federal and state law enforcement sources say the operating theory was that the 2 brothers -- Abel and Ola Osundairo -- may have mailed the letter because, when cops raided their apartment and seized magazines, there were pages missing.

We're told authorities are trying to determine if the pages have the lettering found in the letter. They're also checking the postage stamp against the stamps found in the brothers' apartment. As we reported, the brothers deny sending the letter.

Obviously, if the brothers sent the letter, it comes back to Jussie -- because they would have done it at his behest -- but as one federal law enforcement source tells TMZ, "I think he [Johnson] went too far. We're not there yet."

Dr. Drew -- like the rest of the world -- is having trouble processing why Jussie Smollett would stage an "attack" ... but one thing's clear to the doc ... it's more about character than mental health.

The doc was out and about Thursday in NYC and raised the issue of Jussie going to a rehab facility, in light of the actor confessing in court documents he has a drug problem. Fact is ... criminal defense lawyers often put their clients in rehab to mitigate the possibility of a harsh sentence in the event they're convicted. It wouldn't be surprising if Jussie enters such a facility sooner rather than later.

Jussie Smollett is begging his "Empire" family to believe he's innocent and continue supporting him -- even as the drama of his arrest postponed a scene Thursday in Chicago.

Sources on the "Empire" set tell us the cast and crew were waiting at least 30 minutes for Jussie to begin the scheduled scene. When he eventually showed his face he was very emotional, and surrounded by his family.

We're told he addressed everyone on set, saying ..."I’m sorry I’ve put you all through this and not answered any calls. I wanted to say I’m sorry and, you know me, I would never do this to any of you, you are my family. I swear to God, I did not do this.”

After that, he left the set. We're told it was obvious Jussie had been crying a lot, so producers said he would have to come back later. He did, and we're told he is currently shooting the scene.

As we reported, Smollett bolted from the mob scene outside court, and headed straight to Chicago's Cinespace Studio ... after his bail was set at $100k. News choppers and trucks followed him most of the way as he crossed town.