Beau Jessup, the 27-year-old daughter of British actress Lisa Maxwell, has died while studying for a master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York.
Columbia Journalism School announced her death in a statement expressing condolences to Jessup’s family, friends, classmates and others who knew her.
The university has not publicly disclosed the cause or circumstances of her death.
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Beau Jessup remembered by Columbia
Columbia News published a previously conducted interview with Jessup on November 11, 2026, after receiving permission from her family.
The interview was part of the university’s Notebook series, which profiles students and their interests.
In the conversation, Jessup described herself as an aspiring journalist interested in cultural reporting and the ways institutions, identity and social expectations shape people’s lives.
She was enrolled in the Master of Science in Journalism program and had expected to graduate in May 2027.
Columbia said Jessup had reviewed an edited version of the interview before her death.
A life shaped by journalism and theatre
Jessup previously studied social anthropology at the London School of Economics and writing for performance at the University of Cambridge.
Her academic background informed an interest in storytelling, public narratives and the responsibility involved in reporting on other people’s experiences.
“As the daughter of a television actress, I grew up with an unusual awareness of the distance between people’s lives and the stories told about them,” Jessup said in the Columbia interview.
She also wrote a play called The Sandbag, which explored family, memory, the body and inherited narratives.
While studying in New York, she hoped to continue developing the play alongside a career covering people, culture and social issues.
Jessup became known for SpecialName
Jessup first attracted international attention as a teenager after creating SpecialName, a website that helped Chinese parents choose English names for their children.
She developed the project after encountering families who wanted English names for their children but were uncertain how to select names that worked across cultural settings.
On her personal website, Jessup said the project began when she was 15 and later helped parents choose names for hundreds of thousands of children.
She also spoke about the project at a TEDx event, where she explained how the website used a database and an algorithm to suggest names based on qualities selected by parents.
Jessup later said the work was less about building a business than finding ways to connect with people.
Lisa Maxwell’s acting career
Jessup was the only child of Maxwell and businessman Paul Jessup.
Maxwell is best known for playing Samantha Nixon in the long-running British police drama The Bill.
She was also a regular panellist on the television programme Loose Women and has worked across television, theatre and film.
Maxwell had publicly celebrated her daughter’s academic path, including Jessup’s place in Columbia Journalism School’s Class of 2027.
The family has not issued a public statement detailing the circumstances of Jessup’s death.
What comes next
Columbia said it was working with Jessup’s family and providing support to students and members of the journalism community affected by the loss.
The university’s tribute interview now stands as one of the final public accounts of Jessup’s ambitions and interests.
In it, she described journalism as a field with the power to illuminate people’s experiences while warning that stories can also be simplified or reshaped once they enter the public domain.
Jessup’s plans included reporting and writing for theatre, with a particular interest in stories about culture, identity and social questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Beau Jessup?
Beau Jessup was a 27-year-old British journalist and writer who was studying for a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School in New York.
Who was Beau Jessup’s mother?
Her mother was British actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell, known for The Bill and Loose Women.
What happened to Beau Jessup?
Columbia University confirmed that Jessup had died, but the university and her family have not publicly disclosed the cause or circumstances.
What was Beau Jessup known for?
She became known as a teenager for creating SpecialName, a website that helped Chinese parents choose English names for their children.
When was Beau Jessup expected to graduate?
Jessup was enrolled in Columbia’s Master of Science in Journalism program and was expected to graduate in May 2027.
Fact-Checked: Key details were checked against Columbia University and Columbia Journalism School statements, Jessup’s official website and current corroborating reports. ([news.columbia.edu](https://news.columbia.edu/news/remembering-beau-rose-jessup?utm_source=openai))
Disclaimer: The cause and circumstances of Beau Jessup’s death had not been publicly disclosed in the information available at publication time.