Imani Smith, a former child actor who starred in “The Lion King” on Broadway, was found dead on Dec. 21, according to a press release from Middlesex County, N.J., Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Thomas Bryan of the Edison Police Department. She was 25.

Police responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing at 9:18 a.m. on Dec. 21. Upon arrival, they found Smith with stab wounds and transported her to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. After an investigation, Edison police arrested Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, without incident and charged him 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.

According to the press release, Smith and Jackson-Small knew each other prior to the incident. Smith’s aunt, who started a GoFundMe to raise money for their family, wrote that Jackson-Small was Smith’s boyfriend. He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center.

“Imani had her whole life ahead of her,” her aunt wrote. “She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person. A true triple-threat performer, she most notably played the role of Young Nala on Broadway in Disney’s ‘Lion King’ — an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world.”

According to Playbill, Smith played young Nala in “The Lion King” from Sept. 27, 2011, to Sept. 23, 2012. Her mother, Monique Rance-Helper, is a hair stylist who has worked on the “In the Heights” film, FX’s “Pose” series and Broadway shows “Eclipsed” “Once on This Island,” “The Lightning Thief” and more.

Smith is survived by a 3-year-old son, her parents and her her two siblings.

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‘Lion King’ Broadway star Imani Dia Smith killed; boyfriend arrested

Imani Dia Smith, who starred in “The Lion King” on Broadway, died in a fatal stabbing. Her boyfriend was charged with murder.

Former Broadway performer Imani Dia Smith died in a fatal stabbing in central New Jersey, and her boyfriend has been charged in connection with her murder.

The 26-year-old mother, who as a child starred in the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” was found with multiple stab wounds Sunday morning, Dec. 21, prosecutors said in a press release. First responders took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Jordan Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested soon after. Prosecutors say the two knew each other before Smith’s death, confirming it was “not a random act of violence.” Jackson-Small was her boyfriend, according to Smith’s GoFundMe page.

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. Jackson-Small is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending the results of a pre-trial detention hearing.

Attorney information for Jackson-Small was not available.

Family mourns ‘vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person’
Smith’s family is grieving the “unimaginable” while raising the three-year-old son she leaves behind.

A GoFundMe page has raised over $61,000 as of Thursday, Dec. 25. Donations will go toward funeral expenses, crime scene cleanup, trauma therapy, time off from work and legal and administrative costs.

“Imani had her whole life ahead of her. She was a vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person. A true triple-threat performer, she most notably played the role of Young Nala on Broadway in Disney’s Lion King — an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world,” the description reads.

The page aims to help Smith’s parents grieve and care for their family without the extra fear of financial instability.

The Edison Police Department is encouraging anyone with information about Smith’s death to call them at (732) 718 – 8064 or the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745 – 8083.