Former 'Lion King' Broadway Star Imani Dia Smith Dead at 25; Boyfriend Charged with Murder

• Imani Dia Smith, 25, former child star who played Young Nala in Broadway's 'The Lion King', was found stabbed to death in her Edison, New Jersey home.
• Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder, endangering a child, and weapons offenses.
• The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the incident was not a random act of violence, as Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other.
• Smith is survived by her three-year-old son, parents, and two younger siblings; tributes remember her as a talented actress and loving mother.
• A GoFundMe campaign, launched by her aunt Kira Helper, is raising funds for funeral costs, legal fees, trauma therapy for her son, and care for her dog, Kuro.

Why It Matters: Tragic death of 'Lion King' child star Imani Dia Smith leads to murder charges against boyfriend.