Imani Smith, a former child actor who played Young Nala in Broadway’s «The Lion King,» was found dead on December 21 in Edison, New Jersey, authorities said. She was 25.
Police responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing at 9:18 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found Smith with stab wounds and transported her to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested without incident in connection with the case. He has been 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. Smith and Jackson-Small were known to each other, and her aunt confirmed through a GoFundMe post that he was her boyfriend. He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center.
Smith’s aunt described her as «vivacious, loving and fiercely talented,» noting her triple-threat abilities and her time as Young Nala on Broadway, a role that reflected her creativity and joy.
Smith performed as Young Nala from September 27, 2011, to September 23, 2012, according to Playbill. Her mother, Monique Rance-Helper, is a hair stylist who has worked on the film «In the Heights,» FX’s «Pose,» and Broadway shows including «Eclipsed,» «Once on This Island» and «The Lightning Thief.»
Smith is survived by her 3-year-old son, her parents, and two siblings.
Kursiv also reports that a Dunfermline grandmother, Agnes, known online as EpicGamerGrandma, died in hospital on Sunday.
