Comedian sued by Lion King composer launches GoFundMe over $27 million lawsuit

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Lebo M, the famous composer behind the music in The Lion King, is taking comedian Learnmore Jonasi to court. He’s seeking $27 million in damages after Jonasi claimed the well-known opening chant from ‘The Circle of Life’ actually means, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”

I’ll never forget the first time I heard ‘The Circle of Life’ from The Lion King! It turns out that incredible opening chant, the one that gives me chills even now, is thanks to Lebohang Morake – everyone knows him as Lebo M. Hans Zimmer brought him on board to work on the music, and honestly, Lebo M’s vocals and arrangements are a huge part of what makes that song – and the whole movie – so iconic.

The song starts with the phrase “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba,” which Disney interprets as “All hail the king, we all bow before the king.” It then continues with “Hay! baba, sizongqoba,” meaning, according to Morake, “Through you, we will be victorious.”

Last month, Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi offered a different interpretation of the chant while on One54 Africa. In a clip that’s now widely shared, he says the opening words actually translate to, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god. It’s a lion,” in the Zulu language.

Learnmore Jonasi launches GoFundMe over The Lion King chant lawsuit

Jonasi often joked about this in his comedy routines, which sparked a public disagreement with Lebo M on social media. This month, the conflict escalated when Lebo M sued Jonasi for $27 million, and Jonasi has since started a fundraising campaign.

Jonasi, also known as Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, is raising $20,000 to help with his legal expenses, calling it a very challenging time. As of today, the fundraising campaign has already collected over $10,000 after launching earlier this week.

I’m currently facing a $27 million lawsuit from artist Lebo M after making a joke about the opening Zulu chant from The Lion King. What began as a lighthearted comment has unfortunately turned into a serious legal dispute, as I recently shared.

Hey everyone, I’m a content creator and I never meant to cause anyone trouble. But now I’m stuck with a ton of legal bills just to protect my right to express myself and share my humor. Honestly, the costs are way beyond what I can afford, and I’m reaching out for help. Any support would mean the world to me.

Any amount you can donate will go straight towards my legal fees, helping me fight this unfair claim and protect my ability to earn a living. Please support my fundraising efforts so I can continue sharing my story.

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A post shared by LEARNMORE (@learnmore_jonasi)

He shared a message of thanks, saying he was incredibly grateful for the generous donations received through his GoFundMe campaign and appreciated everyone’s support and kindness.

Thanks to your support, I feel much more confident about my lawsuit. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done – it means the world to me.

Jonasi is offering another way to support him: by buying his merchandise. He’s selling t-shirts and hoodies featuring a cartoon image of himself holding a lion, with the simple phrase, “It’s a lion.”

A new piece of merchandise features him holding a book and jokingly exclaiming, “Look, it’s a lawsuit. Oh my god.” You can find it on his online store here.

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A post shared by LEARNMORE (@learnmore_jonasi)

So, Jonasi just posted some pics of his new merch – t-shirts! He’s basically saying if you buy one, it’ll really help him out with his legal bills. Seems like he’s in a tough spot and could use the support.

Why is Lebo M suing Learnmore Jonasi?

Jonasi is facing a lawsuit filed in California on March 16th, alleging they made false claims about their products or services, damaged someone’s reputation, and unfairly interfered with their business dealings. The lawsuit cites violations of federal and state laws related to unfair competition and defamation.

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A post shared by Lebo M Morake (@thereallebo_m)

Lebo M claims Jonasi is harming his career and business by falsely explaining the meaning of the famous chant. The lawsuit argues this isn’t just a misunderstanding, but could also damage Lebo M’s professional connections and ability to earn money in the future.

The complaint claims that Jonasi misrepresented the line, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god,” as a statement of fact instead of a comedic impression. It alleges he mocked the cultural importance of the original chant by using exaggerated mimicry.

Okay, so this whole thing really bothers me as a gamer and someone who appreciates creativity. Basically, someone took Lebo M’s work – which is amazing – and just boiled it down to this ridiculous, oversimplified line: ‘Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.’ It’s not just a bad translation, it’s like they intentionally made it dumb and disrespectful. And the worst part? They’re trying to profit off of it, completely disregarding the original artist’s vision. It feels like a really messed up way to make a quick buck at someone else’s expense, and it’s seriously damaging to the creative process.

The Zulu phrase “Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba” actually means “All hail the king, we bow before him.”

The main issue is what the final result will be. These types of cases are often hard to win, especially when humor and opinion are involved. Ultimately, the courts will decide based on what they believe the joke meant and how it was received.

For now, all eyes are on how the legal proceedings unfold and what happened to get to this point. 

Critics question Lion King chant lawsuit

The lawsuit has faced some criticism, particularly because similar translations of the iconic ‘Lion King’ chant have appeared before. For example, podcast host Denford Jiro highlighted a recent interview with Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner promoting the new ‘Mufasa’ movie, where a journalist used a comparable translation.

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A post shared by LEARNMORE (@learnmore_jonasi)

The journalist questioned whether they were familiar with the true words to the ‘Circle of Life’ song. When they admitted they weren’t, she playfully recited, “Here comes a lion, father. Oh yes, it’s a lion.” Jiro then wondered why Lebo M hadn’t taken legal action against the filmmakers.

Just days before filing a lawsuit, Jonasi posted the video clip to his social media accounts after a disagreement with Lebo M.

So, the composer had already been pretty harsh about Jonasi’s stuff online. He basically called him out, saying he was clueless, had a huge ego, and wasn’t a real comedian – ouch! It was a full-on rant, honestly.

Just before the lawsuit was filed on March 16th, Lebo M posted an apology on Instagram for his language, but also stated he needed to clarify something important.

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A post shared by Lebo M Morake (@thereallebo_m)

He claimed Jonasi disrespected both his work and his cultural background. When he tried to talk to the comedian privately about it, Jonasi reportedly said he planned to continue performing his act as he always had, having done so for eight years.

We don’t know how the case will end, but right now, many people are donating to support Jonasi through GoFundMe.

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2026-03-26 15:21