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Former young Nala actress from The Lion King, Imani Smith, Dies at 25
Boyfriend charged with murder

Former young Nala actress from The Lion King, Imani Smith, Dies at 25

Boyfriend charged with murder

By Temalesi Vono
28/12/2025

Imani Dia Smith, an ex-child star on Broadway who starred in The Lion King, has died at age 25.

Her boyfriend has been charged with murder.

Smith sustained stab wounds in her residence in Edison, New Jersey, last Sunday, and was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital before being declared dead.

Authorities who responded to an emergency call arrested her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, who is now facing charges of murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child.

A GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral, legal, and administrative costs as well as trauma therapy for her family.

Smith played young Nala in Disney's The Lion King on Broadway from 2011 and 2012.

Her GoFundMe page stated it was "an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world."

She's survived by her son, her parents, and her two younger siblings. Source: People/Life

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