DAILY GOSSIP: February 18, 2011 by Ned Ehrbar

Executives at CBS claim they were duped by someone in Lindsay Lohan’s inner circle into believing that the troubled actress would appear on David Letterman’s show to read the Top 10 List, and it turns out that certain someone was her dad, Michael Lohan. “Someone purporting to be a friend of Lindsay's reached out to the show, allegedly on her behalf, and booked her to appear,” a statement from CBS reads. “Clearly, this person was not authorized to make commitments on her behalf.” In his defense, Michael says Lindsay liked the idea, but it was shot down by her handlers. “Anything positive that I bring into her life ... [her people] try to nix it,” he says.

Justin Bieber is courting controversy for views expressed in a interview with Rolling Stone. “I really don’t believe in abortion. It’s like killing a baby?” he says, and when asked about abortion in cases of rape, he adds, “Well, I think that's really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I guess I haven't been in that position, so I wouldn't be able to judge that.” Bieber also has choice words for the U.S. healthcare system. “You guys are evil,” the Canadian singer says. “We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills.”

Los Angeles sheriffs have wrapped up a seven-month investigation into whether Oksana Grigorieva extorted ex-boyfriend Mel Gibson for millions of dollars using recorded phone calls in which he was verbally abusive and threatening, according to People magazine. Investigators also looked into claims that Gibson was physically abusive to Grigorieva. Prosecutors will now decide how to proceed, and if Grigorieva is found guilty of extortion, she could face several years in prison.

Natalie Portman is reportedly expecting a baby boy with fiancée Benjamin Millepied, according to Life & Style. “They've only told a very small group of family members and friends that they're expecting a son,” a source tells the magazine. "They are so excited. Benjamin cannot wait to be a father.” Portman, who is due in the spring or early summer, opted to skip last weeks British Acadamy of Film and Television Awards in London because of her pregnancy.

Despite what’s become a bitter custody battle and war of words, Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry seem to be putting their differences aside for the sake of their daughter, according to Radar Online. “Gabriel and Halle even resumed talking again last week, and it seems that Halle is going to be making it easier for Gabriel to spend time with Nahla, which has been a sticking point between the two up till now,” a source says. “Hopefully this is the start of the two of them being able to form some kind of workable co-parenting relationship for the sake of their daughter.”

While she was nominated for a Grammy — and won — Fantasia Barrino decided to sit out the ceremony because she wasn’t invited to be part of the star-studded Aretha Franklin tribute that opened the show, she tells BET. “They were honoring someone who was my idol, and there is no way I could have sat there and not got the happy feet and wanted to jump on the mic because she is my favorite,” she says. ”I felt like, you know, at the end of the day I should have been on that stage.”