Imani Dia Smith, a former Broadway child actress known for playing Young Nala in The Lion King, has died at the age of 25. Smith was found with multiple stab wounds at a residence in Edison, New Jersey, on December 21, following a 911 call reporting a stabbing.
According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Smith was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she was pronounced dead. An investigation was launched immediately.
Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested on December 23 and charged with first-degree murder. He also faces additional charges, including endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of a weapon. Authorities have not released further details, and it is unclear if he has entered a plea.
Smith rose to prominence as a child performer on Broadway, appearing in The Lion Kingbetween 2011 and 2012. Her death has deeply affected the theatre community.
She is survived by her three-year-old son, her parents, two younger siblings, and extended family. A GoFundMe organised by her family describes Smith as a “vivacious, loving and fiercely talented” performer and is raising funds for funeral costs, family support, and care for her son.
Source MSN News
