A former child actress who starred in “The Lion King” on Broadway has died at age 26. Imani Dia Smith was found deceased with multiple stab wounds at a residence in Edison, New Jersey on Sunday, December 21.
Imani’s 3-year-old son was in the home but he was not harmed.
Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested on Dec. 23, and charged with her murder, according to Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan.
Jordan is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, prosecutors said.
Imani’s mother, Monique, works as a hairdresser for Broadway, TV and film productions. Monique’s IMDb page shows she worked on television shows as a hairstylist since 2010.
Imani’s family announced her death in a GoFundMe page summary.
“She leaves behind a 3-year-old son, her parents, her two younger siblings, and an extended family, friends, and community who loved her so very much,” Imani’s aunt Kira Helper wrote.
“Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person. A true triple-threat performer, she most notably played the role of Young Nala on Broadway in Disney’s Lion King — an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world,” Kira added.
Kira said money raised will go towards funeral expenses, crime scene cleanup, trauma therapy for her family, legal and administrative costs related to the criminal proceedings in her death and care for Imani’s son and dog.
According to Playbill, Imani appeared in The Lion King on Broadway between 2011 and 2012.
