Former Broadway child actress Imani Dia Smith, known for playing Young Nala in The Lion King, has died at 26. She was found with stab wounds in her Edison, NJ home on Dec. 21 and pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.
Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, has been arrested and 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.
Imani leaves behind her 3-year-old son, her parents, two younger siblings, and a close-knit family and community. Her aunt set up a GoFundMe that has already raised over $62,000 of the $80,000 goal as of December 25th to support funeral and memorial expenses, crime scene cleanup, trauma therapy for her loved ones, legal costs, and care for her son and her beloved dog, Kuro.
Beyond Broadway, Imani worked in the makeup departments for TV shows and films including The Walking Dead, Power Book, The Equalizer, CSI: New York, and A Quiet Place Part II.
“Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was vivacious, loving, and fiercely talented—a true triple-threat performer,” her GoFundMe page reads.
