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The Lion King Actor Imani Dia Smith Stabbed to Death; Boyfriend Charged
Former child actor Imani Dia Smith, who voiced young Nala in Disney’s Broadway production of The Lion King, was stabbed to death in an alleged domestic violence incident in the United States. She was 25.
According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Smith was found with stab wounds at a residence in Edison, New Jersey, on December 21 after police responded to a 911 call. She was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors have charged Smith’s boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, with first-degree murder and multiple other offences. Authorities said the accused was arrested without incident and that the killing was not a random act of violence, as the two knew each other prior to the incident.
Jackson-Small faces charges including 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. He is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Centre.
Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, confirmed the relationship in a GoFundMe post created to support the actor’s parents. Paying tribute, she described Smith as a “vivacious, loving and fiercely talented” performer with a bright future ahead.
Imani Dia Smith is survived by her three-year-old son, her parents Monique Rance-Helper and Rawni Helper, an aunt and two younger siblings. The case has sparked renewed conversations around domestic violence and the vulnerability of young women, including those in the entertainment industry.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
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Published: Dec 25, 2025
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