Who killed former ‘Lion King’ star Imani Smith? New details revealed
Disney Broadway star Imani Smith dies after stabbing; suspect charged with murder
Imani Smith, the former child star who once captivated audiences as Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway, has died at just 26 after a shocking stabbing in New Jersey.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the incident occurred on December 21 in Edison, NJ.
Police rushed to the scene after a 911 call and found Smith suffering from multiple stab wounds.
She was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Authorities arrested 35-year-old Jordan D. Jackson-Small in connection with the killing.
Prosecutors stated that Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other and that the incident was “not a random act of violence.”
In a heartbreaking detail, Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, later revealed in a GoFundMe post that Jackson-Small was Smith’s boyfriend.
Jackson-Small was taken into custody without incident and has been charged with first-degree murder, along with multiple weapons offenses and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
As news of Smith’s death spread, tributes poured in for the talented performer whose early years were spent under Broadway lights.
But behind the applause was a young woman building a life beyond the stage and a devoted mother.
She leaves behind her 3-year-old son, her parents Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper, her aunt, and two younger siblings.
A GoFundMe campaign launched to support her grieving family, now tasked with raising her young son has raised $47,000 toward its $55,000 goal.
