Rutherford, 47, will play the role of Laura, Shelby's (Johanna Braddy) mother who - along with Shelby's father Glenn (Kevin Kilner) - was revealed to still be alive and siphoning off money from her daughter through a long con, reported Entertainment Weekly.
Showrunner Josh Safran, who previously served as a writer and executive producer for "Gossip Girl", said he had hoped fans of the teen drama would notice.
"It's always nice to slip Kelly in anything, I missed her. But when you think about it, who looks like Johanna's mother?," Safran said.