Beau Jessup, Daughter of Lisa Maxwell, Dies at 27

Columbia University announced on November 11 that Beau Jessup, a 27-year-old student in its master’s journalism program, had died unexpectedly. The university did not provide details about the circumstances or cause of her death. Jessup was the daughter of British actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell and her husband, Paul Jessup.

In a message to the university community, Columbia Journalism School dean Jelani Cobb described Jessup as a cherished member and extended condolences to her family and friends. The school also shared an interview with Jessup that had been conducted the previous month. She was expected to graduate in May 2027.

Jessup attended the London School of Economics, then the University of Cambridge, before enrolling at Columbia. She said her interest in journalism grew from studying social anthropology and writing for performance. She hoped to report on people, culture and social questions, and also wanted to write. At Cambridge, she wrote a play called “The Sandbag.”

Jessup also founded SpecialName, a website offering English-name suggestions to Chinese parents. She developed the idea after visits to China, where friends asked her to suggest names for their children. In 2016, she said the business had earned her more than £48,000.

Maxwell has appeared on the British television program “Loose Women” and acted in the police drama “The Bill.” She had publicly congratulated Jessup on her Columbia studies in September. The family has not publicly commented on her death.