Columbia School of Journalism issued a statement on the sudden death of Beau Jessup, daughter of British actor Lisa Maxwell.
Beau Jessup, the 27-year-old daughter of British actress Lisa Maxwell, has died unexpectedly while pursuing a master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York. She was expected to graduate in May 2027. the sudden passing of Jessup was confirmed by a statement from the university While no other details of her death have been disclosed.
The J-School is working with Beau’s family to offer support and assistance during this difficult time,” Columbia Journalism School where she was studying master’s, said in the statement. She said her upbringing made her curious about who gets to tell people’s stories and how those stories can sometimes be distorted in the public eye. “I grew up with an unusual awareness of the distance between people’s lives and the stories told about them. I saw how journalism could illuminate someone’s experiences, but also how those experiences could be distorted, simplified, or transformed into a public narrative over which the subject had very little control,” she said in that interview.
“Columbia Journalism School mourns the loss of Beau Jessup, a student in our M.S. program. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, classmates and all who knew and loved her. Jessup had spoken about how growing up with a famous mother influenced her interest in journalism. She hoped to pursue reporting on people, culture and social issues while continuing to write for theatre. Beau gave an interview with Columbia in the week before her death, and they shared it publicly with permission from her family. “I was curious, from quite a young age, about who gets to tell people’s stories, and what happens when those stories enter the public domain.