The daughter of British actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell has died unexpectedly at the age of 27 while studying at Columbia University in New York City.
Beau Jessup, who was pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at the prestigious Ivy League university, was remembered by Columbia Journalism School in a social media statement shared Wednesday, November 12.
“Columbia Journalism School mourns the loss of Beau Jessup, a student in our M.S. program. We join Jessup’s family, friends and classmates in remembering her,” a university spokesperson said, according to Daily Mail.
No further details about Jessup’s death have been released. Her cause of death, as well as the circumstances surrounding it, remain unknown.
Jessup was the daughter of Maxwell and her husband, Paul Jessup. Maxwell is best known for her seven-year role in the British police drama The Bill and her appearances as a panelist on the ITV daytime talk show Loose Women.
The actress also previously revealed that she had originally been cast as Daphne Moon in the sitcom Frasier, a role ultimately played by Jane Leeves.
Before moving to the United States, Jessup studied at the London School of Economics and the University of Cambridge.
She joined Columbia Journalism School’s M.S. program and was featured in the university’s Class of 2027 announcement in September. She was expected to graduate next May.
Maxwell previously celebrated her daughter’s academic achievement on X, sharing a photograph of Jessup alongside her classmates.
“Congratulations guys! Especially my daughter Beau over in NYC making us all super proud,” the actress wrote.
Congrats to all the new MSt students!
Especially my daughter Beau( in the middle 😍)Best of luck on this new and exciting part of your journey . https://t.co/Gl1u8eo4Gt— Lisa Maxwell : (@thelisamaxwell) October 29, 2024
Columbia Journalism School also shared a recent interview with Jessup following news of her death.
As of publication, no additional details about the circumstances of Jessup’s death had been made public.

