# Beau Jessup, Daughter of Actress Lisa Maxwell, Dies at 27 The Columbia University graduate student passed away suddenly while pursuing her master's degree. - **Source:** [Page Six](https://pagesix.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-12 - **Topic:** [culture](https://brifing.si/c/culture) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/a0c005f7-e5da-446e-8190-7fdae4162069 ## Sudden Loss Announced Columbia University confirmed the unexpected death of Beau Jessup, a 27-year-old master's student in journalism. The institution shared the tragic news via Instagram on Wednesday, extending condolences to her family and peers. Jessup was six months away from completing her degree, which she was scheduled to finish in May 2027. ## Academic and Career Path Before enrolling at Columbia, Jessup studied social anthropology at the London School of Economics and writing for performance at the University of Cambridge. Her academic focus centered on cultural journalism, specifically examining how institutions and social expectations shape human identity. She expressed a deep interest in the power and immediacy of reporting. ## Reflections on Public Narrative Growing up as the daughter of television actress Lisa Maxwell, Jessup developed a unique perspective on media representation. She noted an early awareness of the gap between personal lives and public stories. Jessup was particularly curious about who controls narratives once they enter the public domain and how experiences are often distorted. ## Early Entrepreneurial Success Beyond her academic pursuits, Jessup gained public attention in 2016 for her entrepreneurial venture, SpecialName. The website assisted Chinese parents in selecting English names for their children, successfully generating over $60,000 in revenue. This project highlighted her early interest in cross-cultural communication and her ability to identify unique market needs. ## Passion for Theater Arts Jessup also maintained a strong commitment to theater throughout her education. While studying at the University of Cambridge, she authored her first play titled The Sandbag. She frequently expressed a desire to blend her professional reporting career with creative writing, drawing inspiration from journalists who successfully transition between news and playwriting. ## Post-Graduation Aspirations In a recently released interview conducted for the university's Notebook series, Jessup outlined her future professional goals. She intended to focus her career on reporting about people, culture, and complex social questions. Her ambition was to utilize journalism as a tool to illuminate individual experiences while maintaining control over the narrative process. ## Family Background Details Beau Jessup was born in October 1999 to Lisa Maxwell and Paul Jessup. Her mother is well-known for her role on the television series The Bill and as a panelist on Loose Women. The couple, who married in July 2014, has not yet issued a public statement regarding their daughter's sudden passing. ## Institutional Response Context While Columbia University did not disclose the specific cause of death, the school chose to honor Jessup by releasing an unpublished interview from last month. This gesture provides insight into her intellectual curiosity and academic dedication. The university community continues to mourn the loss of a student who showed significant promise. ## Sources covering this story - https://pagesix.com/2026/11/12/celebrity-news/british-actresss-columbia-university-student-daughter-dies-at-27/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._