Imani Dia Smith, a former child actor who starred in The Lion King on Broadway, has died. 

Ms. Smith was killed by her boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, who has been charged with murder, endangering the welfare of a child, and weapons offenses. Ms. Smith was just 25 years old.

From September 27, 2011, to September 23, 2012, Ms. Smith played Young Nala in the long-running Disney hit. Her mother, Monique Rance-Helper, a talented hair stylist who has worked for both the stage and the silver screen, has styled hair and wigs for The Lion King on Broadway, as well as hairpieces in the recent Broadway productions of Eclipsed, Once On This Island, The Lightning Thief, the In the Heights film, POSE on FX, and more. 

Ms. Smith is survived by her three-year-old son, her parents, and her two younger siblings. A GoFundMe has been organized to support Ms. Rance-Helper and her father, Rawni Helper, as they prepare to bury their daughter, raise Ms. Smith's son, and endure the legal battle against her killer while supporting their two other children. 

For more information, visit GoFundMe.com.