Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ star Imani Smith killed at 26; boyfriend has been charged with her murder

Smith was a “vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person,” her aunt, Kira Helper, posted on GoFundMe. She leaves behind a three-year-old son.

In a tragedy just days before Christmas, Imani Dia Smith, a former child star on Broadway’s “The Lion King,” has died at age 26. Authorities have charged her boyfriend with first-degree murder.

The actress, who played the role of Young Nala on Broadway from 2011-2012, was found on December 21 by police in Edison, New Jersey, who responded to a call at 9:18 a.m. reporting a stabbing. They found Smith, who did have stab wounds, and transported her to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Middlesex Prosecutor’s Office.

Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested on December 23 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, according to prosecutors.

Kira Helper, who said she is the aunt of Smith, organized a GoFundMe page to raise money for Smith’s parents, Monique Rance and Rawni Helper. Smith’s mother, Monique, also works in the Broadway, TV, and film industry as a hairdresser and has credits on 25 movies and shows. Her parents have assumed responsibility for Smith’s three-year-old son and her dog, Kuro.

Smith’s aunt wrote that the money raised will help cover costs such as funeral and memorial expenses, legal and administrative expenses, crime scene cleanup at Smith’s home, and trauma therapy for Imani’s son, her two younger siblings, and her parents. She wrote this about her niece:

“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.”

At the time of publication, the GoFundMe page had raised $60,859. Kira initially set the amount at $50,000, “because the true cost of trauma, loss, and long-term healing is impossible to know right now.”