The romance of Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively and Penn Badgley was met with parental approval of sorts from Matthew Settle, who plays Penn's on-screen dad, Rufus.

It's only appropriate that actress Kelly Rutherford, who plays Lily, Lively's mom, gives the couple a thumbs up too.

"I think they're so lovely," Rutherford said Thursday in Beverly Hills.

She says Blake Lively and Penn Badgley benefited by experiencing Gossip Girl's soaring popularity together as their chemistry gelled.

"To be able to go through this ride and success and to have somebody to do that with and share that experience, I think they're both very fortunate," Rutherford said.

Kelly Rutherford (Lily) plays mom to Blake Lively (Serena).

The actress also says the Gossip Girl cast and crew had no trepidation about the couple, or fears of on-set fallout if things don't work out between them.

"No, because they've known each other for a long time," she says. "They're both so together and whatever happens is their business. I think they're both darling and very together as people."

Still, Kelly Rutherford jokingly admitted she's not always on the inside track of the relationship:

"Of course, the 'mother' is always the last to know."

Steve Marsi is the Managing Editor of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Google+ or email him here.