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British actress Lisa Maxwell's daughter dies at 27

Summarised from 6 outlets · 9 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 10:44 · Archive

Beau Jessup, 27, daughter of British actress Lisa Maxwell, has died while studying journalism at Columbia University in New York City.

Beau Jessup, 27, the only child of British actress and television presenter Lisa Maxwell and her husband Paul Jessup, has died. Columbia University's Journalism School announced her death on Wednesday. She had been studying for a master's degree in journalism at the Ivy League institution in New York City.

No cause of death has been publicly disclosed. The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed to the New York Daily News that the cause and manner of death remain undetermined and are pending further investigation. The New York Post reported that sources said her death was 'not suspicious' and involved 'no criminality'.

Columbia Journalism School released a statement mourning her loss. '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,' it said. Dean of the journalism school Jelani Cobb added: 'Any loss within our school family is difficult to process, and our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Beau's family and friends during this heartbreaking time.'

Jessup was due to graduate in May 2027. Before studying at Columbia, she had studied social anthropology at the London School of Economics and writing for performance at the University of Cambridge. In an interview conducted by Columbia the month before her death, she discussed how growing up as the daughter of a television actress influenced her decision to pursue journalism. '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,' she said. '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.'

Jessup had an entrepreneurial background. At 16, she established SpecialName, a baby naming service that generated English names for Chinese children and was used by more than 250,000 people. The service was inspired by her time in China.

Lisa Maxwell is best known for playing Detective Inspector Samantha Nixon in the British police procedural The Bill, where she appeared for seven years, and for serving as a panellist on the British talk show Loose Women between 2009 and 2014. Her former Loose Women co-stars paid emotional tributes on the show's Friday episode. Kaye Adams, who appeared alongside Maxwell from 2013 to 2014, fought back tears as she shared the news. 'There's nothing to say. The feeling of sadness is just overwhelming. We are sending all of our love to Lisa, her husband, Paul, and all of their family and friends,' Adams said.

British actress Lisa Maxwell's daughter dies at 27
Image: New York Post

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In this story: Beau Jessup · Lisa Maxwell · Paul Jessup · Columbia University · Columbia Journalism School · New York City

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