NEED TO KNOW
Former Broadway actress Imani Dia Smith died on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Edison, N.J. after she was allegedly stabbed
Smith, who appeared in The Lion King on Broadway as young Nala, leaves behind a 3-year-old son, according to a GoFundMe page set up in her name by an aunt
The GoFundMe page has raised more than $46,000 in funds for Smith's family
Imani Dia Smith, a former Broadway child actress who starred inThe Lion King, has died. She was 25.
Smith was found with stab wounds in a residence in Edison, N.J. on Sunday, Dec. 21 after someone reported a stabbing in a 911 call. According to apress releaseissued on Dec. 23 by prosecutors, Smith was pronounced dead after she was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, was arrested and accused of murder on Dec. 23, according to Middlesex County, New Jersey, prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Department chief Thomas Bryan.
He was 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, prosecutors said.
"She leaves behind a 3-year-old son, her parents, her two younger siblings, and an extended family, friends, and community who loved her so very much," Smith's aunt Kira Helper wrote in aGoFundMeshe set up on behalf of the family.
She wrote that funds raised via GoFundMe will go toward funeral and memorial expenses, crime scene cleanup at Smith's home, trauma therapy for her family, legal and administrative costs related to the criminal proceedings in her death and care for Smith's son and dog.
"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'sLion King— an experience that reflected the joy, creativity, and light she put into the world," the GoFundMe page reads. According toPlaybill, Smith appeared inThe Lion Kingbetween 2011 and 2012.
The GoFundMe page noted that Smith's mother Monique works as a hairdresser for Broadway and television and film productions. Monique'sIMDb pageshows she has worked on more than 25 movies and television shows as a hairstylist since 2010, including this year'sThe Housemaidand 2022'sSmile.
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As of Wednesday, Dec. 24, the GoFundMe page set up in Smith's name has raised more than $46,000 from 609 donations and is aiming to raise $55,000 for her family.
"Our hope is that these funds will give Imani's parents the ability to focus on what matters most: grieving their daughter, caring for their grandson, and helping their children begin to heal — without the added fear of financial instability," the page reads.
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