Sat Dec 27 15:20:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the text:
Summary:
Former Broadway child actress Imani Dia Smith, known for her role as Young Nala in “The Lion King,” died after being stabbed in Edison, New Jersey. Police responded to a call and found Smith, 25, with stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, has been arrested and charged with murder and related offenses in connection with the stabbing. The relationship between Smith and Jackson-Small is described as someone Smith knew, but further details about the circumstances remain unclear.
News Article:
Former ‘Lion King’ Actress Imani Dia Smith, 25, Dies in Stabbing; Man Charged with Murder
EDISON, N.J. – Imani Dia Smith, a former child actress who graced the Broadway stage as Young Nala in Disney’s “The Lion King,” has died after being stabbed at a residence in Edison, New Jersey, authorities have confirmed. She was 25 years old.
Police responded to a call on Sunday and discovered Ms. Smith with stab wounds. She was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
On Tuesday, authorities arrested Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, in connection with the incident. He is facing charges of 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 Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutors have stated that Jackson-Small was someone known to Ms. Smith, but have not released further details about the nature of their relationship or the circumstances leading to the stabbing. It is currently unknown if Mr. Jackson-Small has retained legal counsel.
Imani Dia Smith played Young Nala in the Broadway production of “The Lion King” from September 2011 to September 2012, according to Playbill. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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