Daijiworld Media Network - New Jersey

New Jersey, Dec 25: Imani Dia Smith, a former child actor best known for playing young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, was found dead in New Jersey on December 21. She was 25. Police have arrested her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small (35), in connection with her death.

According to reports, police responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing at around 9.18 am. On reaching the scene, officers found Smith with stab wounds. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Following an investigation, Jackson-Small was taken into custody 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. A press release quoted by Variety stated that Smith and the accused knew each other prior to the incident, adding that it was not a random act of violence.

Smith portrayed young Nala on Broadway from September 2011 to September 2012, according to Playbill. A GoFundMe page started by her aunt, Kira Helper, said the actress is survived by her three-year-old son, parents Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper, and two siblings.

Describing her niece as “senselessly killed by her boyfriend,” Helper wrote that Smith was a “vivacious, loving, and fiercely talented person” and a “true triple-threat performer.” The fundraiser has been created to support Smith’s parents and had raised over USD 46,000 as of Wednesday.