British Actress Lisa Maxwell’s Daughter Beau Jessup Dies at 27 While Studying at Columbia University

Beau Jessup, the 27-year-old daughter of British actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell, has died while pursuing her master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York.

Her death was confirmed by Columbia Journalism School, which issued a statement expressing its condolences to her family, friends, classmates and everyone who knew her.

“Columbia Journalism School mourns the loss of Beau Jessup, a student in our M.S. program,” the university said. It added that it was working closely with her family to provide support and assistance during the difficult period.

The university has not disclosed the circumstances surrounding her death or its cause. Her mother, Lisa Maxwell, and the family have not publicly shared further details.

Jessup was enrolled in Columbia Journalism School’s Master of Science programme and was expected to graduate in May 2027. Her sudden passing has prompted tributes from the university community, where she had been pursuing her ambition of building a career in journalism and writing.

In a moving tribute, Columbia News published an interview with Jessup that had been conducted the previous month. The university confirmed that the decision to release the conversation was made with the permission of her family and the encouragement of members of the journalism school.

During the interview, Jessup spoke about her interest in cultural journalism, particularly the ways institutions, identity and social expectations influence people’s lives. She also reflected on how growing up with a mother in the television industry had shaped her understanding of storytelling and the responsibility journalists carry when representing other people’s experiences.

Before joining Columbia, Jessup studied social anthropology at the London School of Economics and Writing for Performance at the University of Cambridge. Her academic interests extended beyond journalism, with aspirations to continue writing for theatre alongside reporting on people, culture and wider social issues.

Jessup had also attracted attention as a young entrepreneur. She founded SpecialName, an online service designed to help Chinese parents choose English names for their children, an initiative that brought her recognition while she was still a teenager.

Her journey reflected a combination of entrepreneurship, creative writing and a growing commitment to understanding people’s stories. In her Columbia interview, she described journalism as a powerful way to illuminate people’s experiences while acknowledging the importance of telling those stories accurately and thoughtfully.

As Columbia Journalism School and her loved ones mourn her loss, Jessup is being remembered as a young woman with considerable ambition, intellectual curiosity and a passion for storytelling. She had been preparing to take the next steps in a promising career, making her death at just 27 all the more heartbreaking.