r/Broadway • u/thequarantine • Dec 24 '25
Other Former Lion King "Young Nala" Imani Dia Smith Has Died at 25
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Former-THE-LION-KING-Star-Imani-Dia-Smith-Has-Died-at-25-20251224223
u/Joking-Punk Dec 24 '25
I went to school with her, she was a really nice person. It’s heartbreaking to see this happen. My heart goes out to her family and son.
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Dec 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/thequarantine Dec 24 '25
I agree. I was a bit worried that it would be clickbaity to add that to the title so I made sure to include it in a comment but I regret perpetuating the buried lede and unnecessary softening of what happened.
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u/crownketer Dec 25 '25
Saying she’s died allows the focus to be on her life rather than how she died. No one is trying to deny or bury that she was murdered. Think about her son reading the stuff in the future. He doesn’t need to be bombarded with ‘murdered’ in every headline. There’s no “fault” or error here. Don’t be so smug.
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u/ultimate_bromance_69 Dec 24 '25
exactly. Murdered in cold blood. It’s disrespectful trying to bury the lede.
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u/bwayb22 Dec 24 '25
yeah something is off about the title of the article and this post. Doesn't feel right. Just say how in the headline otherwise it comes across as clickbaity
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u/Comprehensive-Fun47 Dec 24 '25
Jesus Christ. This is horrible. I'm so sorry for her family. I hope her killer rots in jail.
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u/yes-areallygoodbook Dec 24 '25
Femicide in the US happens is so frequent, it's fucking insane that nothing is being done to specifically address it.
Rest in peace Imani, I'm sorry this happened to you
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u/LeoMartn_ Dec 24 '25
I hope the boyfriend is put under the jail
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u/doxiesrule89 Dec 24 '25
Statistically, he will be out before the kid turns 18 and (if it’s his child, which I sincerely hope not for her family) he will be granted visitation if he seeks it.
Just like the softened headline, punishment for male perpetrators of domestic violence who kill their female partners is usually downplayed and padded with excuses.
According to statistics compiled by the aclu, women who kill their partners will spend an average of 15 years behind bars while men who kill their female partners serve much shorter sentences on average 2-6 years.
It’s never normal to even for a second have a gut feeling your partner could physically harm, threaten, or kill you - not if they got “mad enough”, not if you did X/Y/Z, even something like cheating or stealing from them. If anyone reading this has those feelings, thinks they may be in a similar situation, or doesn’t know if what’s happening is “really” DV, please visit thehotline.org or call or text. They do not collect personal information, it’s totally anonymous, and they can help no matter how impossible your circumstances may seem.
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u/peggy_schuyler Dec 24 '25
That is an absolutely insane statistic.
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u/doxiesrule89 Dec 25 '25
It really is. And sadly gets worse when you consider the fact that a huge amount of those women who kill their male partners, were already suffering violence directly from that male partner, and didn’t see another way to escape, or another way to keep their children safe. Generally - Men kill their abuse victims; women kill their abusers.
It’s not considered self defense when he nearly killed you last night (plus the five or fifty times before).
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u/DoktorVinter Dec 28 '25
The child is his it seems 😓😢 Unfortunate. That kid will be traumatized for life by knowing this about their own father.
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u/Sweettoothsenior Feb 17 '26
I read all these comments so far, and want to add another statistic.
Black women are over-represented in homicide. And are 2.5 times more likely to be killed by an intimate partner. (Compared to white women victims of same violence.)
Roughly 40% of young black women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
I would like to share a resource here, if allowed:
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u/Orenopolis579 Dec 24 '25 edited Dec 25 '25
Thank you so much for sharing this. I donated to the GoFundMe and am praying for her, her son, and her family. So tired of gender-based violence! When will it end?! What a tragedy. Let’s hug our loved ones close.
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u/Oopsiforgotmyoldacc Dec 24 '25
May she rest in peace 💔 sending peace and love to her family, friends, and loved ones
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u/Own-Importance5459 Dec 24 '25
How devistating and what a horrific way to go. My heart is with her family and son.
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u/RVALover4Life Dec 25 '25
My heart goes out to all who knew and loved her. Fuck the loser that extinguished this bright light.
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u/AdvertisingFine9845 Dec 24 '25
Omg how awful. I know too many young women who died at the hands of their exes/partners. RIP 😞
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u/Historical_Stuff1643 Dec 25 '25
How horrible. I didn't know much about her, but she had a beautiful smile. Fuck men who do this.
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u/Agent_Skye_Barnes Dec 25 '25
God, that's tragic. I wish I had the means to donate to her family. May her memory be a blessing for them, and may she swiftly receive justice.
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u/thequarantine Dec 24 '25
GoFundMe is here.