Imani Smith, a former child actress who starred as Young Nala in Broadway’s The Lion King from September 27th, 2011, to September 23rd, 2012, was killed in a stabbing on December 21st. She was 26 years old.
The stabbing occurred in an Edison, New Jersey home, and Smith was pronounced dead after being taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. According to the Middlesex, New Jersey County Prosecutor’s Office (via Deadline), Smith’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Jordan D. Jackson-Small, has been arrested in connection with the death. He has been 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.
The Prosecutor’s Office only said that “Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other prior to the incident, thus it was not a random act of violence.” However, a GoFundMe set up by Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, described Jackson-Small as Smith’s boyfriend.
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“Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person,” reads the GoFundMe page. “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.” As of this writing, the fundraiser has reached $65,981 out of a target $75,000 — up from its original $55,000 goal when first launched.
The GoFundMe is intended to cover funeral and legal expenses, as well as to help Smith’s parents, Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper, with raising the three-year-old son and beloved dog, Kuro, she leaves behind. Smith is also survived by her two younger siblings.
