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‘The Lion King’ Star Dead at 26; Boyfriend Charged with Murder

Jordan Jackson-Small faces multiple charges including first-degree murder; a GoFundMe raised over $61,000 to support Smith's family after the fatal attack.

  • On December 21, Imani Dia Smith, 26-year-old former Broadway performer and mother, was found with fatal stab wounds in Edison, New Jersey; her 35-year-old boyfriend Jordan D. Jackson-Small was charged in connection.
  • The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday the attack was `not a random act of violence` and that the victim and suspect knew each other before the killing, with investigators continuing to probe the circumstances.
  • Jordan D. Jackson-Small was arrested on December 23 and charged with first-degree murder, child-endangerment and weapons offenses; he is held at Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a hearing.
  • Donors are funding funeral costs, trauma therapy, and family support after the killing, with over $61,000 raised by Thursday, Dec. 25, to aid Smith's family and her three-year-old son.
  • As investigators continue their work, the community has posted tributes to Smith's memory, with GoFundMe commenters expressing devastation and family describing her as a `vivacious, loving and fiercely talented person`.
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11 Articles

Syracuse NYSyracuse NY
+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Center

‘The Lion King’ star dead at 26; boyfriend charged with murder

A former star of “The Lion King” has been killed at 26 and her boyfriend has been charged with murder, according to multiple reports.

·Syracuse, United States
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Lean Right

Imani Smith died at the age of 25 because of the injuries of a stabbing: the boyfriend Jackson-Small is under arrest, here are the accusations against him

·Italy
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Bias Distribution

  • 34% of the sources lean Left, 33% of the sources are Center, 33% of the sources lean Right
34% Left

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Internewscast broke the news in on Wednesday, December 24, 2025.
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