Woman who starred in ‘Lion King’ on Broadway as a child is killed in stabbing, officials say. The family of Imani Dia Smith, 26, said she was stabbed to death by her boyfriend. Officials said the man charged in her death knew Smith, but they did not elaborate.
Family and friends described Smith as a gifted performer who loved her three-year-old son and the stage. Her aunt set up a fundraiser to cover funeral costs and support the child as relatives grieve.
Imani Dia Smith, the former Broadway child star who played Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, was found with stab wounds at a home in Edison, New Jersey, on 21 December and later died at hospital (People.com).
Middlesex County authorities said first responders answered a 911 call and discovered Smith, 26, at a Grove Avenue residence.
Imani Smith, who once played a young Nala in Disney’s “The Lion King” on Broadway, died on Sunday after she was found with stab wounds at a home, according to the Middlesex County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office.
She “had her whole life ahead of her,” a GoFundMe account set up by Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, said. “She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person.”
On December 21, just after 9:15 a.m., authorities in Edison, New Jersey, received a 911 call about a stabbing, according to a release.
“Upon their arrival to a residence on Grove Avenue, they discovered Imani Smith, 26, of Edison with stab wounds,” the release said. Smith was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was declared dead.
Officials have arrested Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, of Edison, in connection with Smith’s death. Authorities said the two knew each other before the incident and described it as “not a random act of violence.”
Smith’s father, Rawni Helper, said in a phone call with CNN Saturday that Jackson-Small is the father of Smith’s 3-year-old son.
Jackson-Small is facing several charges, authorities said, including first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center according to jail records.
heatre colleagues remembered her early promise and warm presence during rehearsals, noting how she lit up community performances.
The investigation continues as prosecutors prepare for court and as the arts community reflects on a young life taken too soon.
