Tiffani Thiessen breaks her silence days after Luke Perry's death

Still can’t believe it. Tiffani Thiessen paid tribute to her Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Luke Perry three days after his sudden death.

Thiessen, 45, posted a black-and-white throwback picture of the pair via Instagram on Thursday, March 7, and captioned it: “My heart has been weighing heavy. The loss of a man who started as my co-star but quickly became my friend. He welcomed me on my very first day of #90210 with open arms. A day that was not an easy one for me. I was coming in to a show, a family really, that had been together for over 4 years. But this man took me under his wing and made me feel at home. Made me feel like I belonged in his TV family.”

“He was sincere, sweet, warm, kind, professional and funny as all heck. And most of all, the definition of a gentleman,” the Alexa & Katie actress continued. “Luke, our world has a hole in it now that you aren’t here. But heaven definitely gained you as an angel. #RIP #LukePerry #gonetoosoon.”

Perry and Thiessen played love interests Dylan McKay and Valerie Malone, respectively, on the hit FOX series, which ran from 1990 to 2000. Thiessen joined the cast in 1994.

Earlier on Thursday, costar Jason Priestley also broke his silence on the Riverdale actor’s untimely death. “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,” Priestley, 49, wrote on Instagram. “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.”

The Private Eyes actor, who played Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210, added: “If you had the good fortune to know Luke, or to have ever crossed his path, I know you are sad today as well… the candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long… you burned oh, so brightly Luke… Goodnight Sweet Prince.”

The Oz star died in the hospital on Monday, March 4, less than a week after he suffered a massive stroke at his home in the Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles. He was 52.

His rep confirmed his passing to Us Weekly in a statement, which read: “[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, stepfather Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”