The Imani Dia Smith death Broadway actress boyfriend charges story has sent shockwaves through the theater community this Christmas week. On Sunday, December 21, 2025, authorities in Edison, New Jersey, responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing at a residence on Grove Avenue. Upon arrival, police discovered 26-year-old Imani Dia Smith with multiple stab wounds. She was rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, where she was tragically pronounced dead.
Following a preliminary investigation, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest of Smith’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Jordan D. Jackson-Small. Officials stated that the incident was “not a random act of violence,” as the two had been in a domestic relationship. Jackson-Small was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday, December 23, and is currently being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pre-trial detention hearing.
Imani Dia Smith was a celebrated talent who made her mark on Broadway as a child, most notably starring as Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King from 2011 to 2012. Her family and friends have described her as a “vivacious, loving, and fiercely talented” triple-threat performer. The charge of “endangering the welfare of a child” has added a layer of heartbreak to the case, as Smith leaves behind a three-year-old son.
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe organized by Smith’s aunt, Kira Helper, has already raised over $60,000 to assist with funeral expenses, trauma therapy for the family, and the long-term care of her young son. Tributes from the Broadway community continue to pour in, mourning the loss of a bright light whose career was cut short by a senseless act of domestic violence. As the investigation remains ongoing, Edison police are urging anyone with further information to contact local authorities.
