Former ‘Lion King’ Broadway star stabbed to death at New Jersey home

🔴 Former Broadway child star Imani Smith, 26, was stabbed to death in Edison.

🔴 Her boyfriend, Jordan Jackson-Small, faces first-degree murder charges.

🔴 Smith, the mom of a young son, once starred as Young Nala in The Lion King.

EDISON — A New Jersey man is charged with the murder of his girlfriend, who was best known for her role as a child star in The Lion King on Broadway.

Jordan Jackson-Small, 35, of Edison, was arrested soon after police found the victim's body at a home on Grove Avenue on the morning of Dec. 21, 2025, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

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Jackson-Small is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree child endangerment, and weapons offenses. He's being held at Middlesex County Jail.

Investigators said that he stabbed Imani Smith, 26, of Edison, to death on that Sunday. And prosecutors said it wasn't a random act of violence.

Broadway actress and mother remembered for talent and warmth

According to a GoFundMe page, Smith was "senselessly" killed by her boyfriend. She was the mother of a 3-year-old boy.

Smith's aunt, Kira Helper, created the GoFundMe for funeral costs and trauma therapy for the actress's young son. It had raised over $75,000 as of Monday afternoon.

"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," Helper said.

Smith held the role of Young Nala from Sept. 27, 2011, through Sept. 23, 2012, according to Playbill. The Lion King is the third-longest-running show on Broadway.

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