‘Lion King’ Child Star Imani Smith Killed at 26 — Suspect Arrested

Imani Smith, a former Broadway child actress known for playing Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, has died at the age of 26. Authorities say she was killed after a stabbing incident in New Jersey.

According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, police were called to a home in Edison, New Jersey, on December 21 after receiving a 911 call.

When officers arrived, they found Smith suffering from stab wounds. She was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she later died.

A man identified as Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was taken into custody in connection with her death. Prosecutors confirmed that Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other and said the incident was not random. A family member later shared that Jackson-Small was Smith’s boyfriend.

Jackson-Small was arrested without resistance and now faces several serious charges. These include first-degree murder, charges related to child endangerment, and multiple weapons-related offenses. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not released further details about what led up to the incident.

Smith performed on Broadway as a child, appearing in The Lion King between 2011 and 2012. Though she later stepped away from the spotlight, her family says she remained deeply loved and devoted to her children and relatives.

She is survived by her 3-year-old son, her parents, her aunt, and two younger siblings. Following her death, a GoFundMe page was created to help support her family. The fundraiser is meant to assist her parents as they care for her young son and support their other children during this difficult time. As of the latest update, most of the goal has already been reached.

This is a heartbreaking case that highlights how personal violence can cut lives short far too soon. A young woman with a past in the arts and a future as a mother is gone, leaving behind a child and grieving family. It is a reminder of how important it is to take domestic violence seriously and to support those who may be at risk.

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