Kelly Rutherford, born on November 6, 1968 in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is an American TV actress most known for her roles as Megan Lewis in Melrose Place, Sam Whitmore in Generations, and Lily van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl. When she was 17, Kelly moved to New York by herself and eventually made her way to California, where she began a career as a TV actress, appearing as a guest star in several TV shows.

Soon after, Kelly was discovered by the late TV producer Aaron Spelling and was cast in his shows including the FOX soap Melrose Place. Prior to her work with the Spelling teen drama hit, she made an impact in Turkey playing the role of Sam in Generations. She also did various commercials for the Turkish market. Though she has been in several movies in the '90s, Kelly has never gotten the big roles in Hollywood blockbuster-type movies and remained primarily a television star. In 2008, she was cast in the CW teen drama Gossip Girl.

Kelly was married to banker Carlos Tarajano from June 30, 2001 until January 2002 when she filed for divorce. During their marriage, Carlos suffered a cardiac arrest which left him dependent on her. Kelly, in turn, grew distant until she finally left him. Shortly after, her wedding to Carlos was featured in a TV special on Celebrity Weddings. In August of 2006, Kelly married her second husband, German businessman Daniel Giersch. They welcomed their first child, a boy named Hermes Gustaf Daniel Giersch, into the family on Wednesday October 18, 2006. Hermes was born at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and weighed 8.5 lbs. Kelly filed for divorce on December 30, 2008, just a few weeks after announcing that she was pregnant with their second child