Comedian Learnmore Jonasi is facing a $27 million lawsuit from Lebo M, the composer of music for The Lion King. Jonasi recently shared that he was actually served with the lawsuit papers while performing onstage, during his comedy set.
So, this whole thing started last month when I saw this guy, Jonasi – real name Learnmore Mwanyenyeka – on One54 Africa. He dropped this claim in a clip that’s now everywhere, saying the opening bit of ‘Circle of Life’ from The Lion King actually translates to, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god. It’s a lion!” in Zulu. It was pretty wild!
The meaning of the famous chant has been discussed before, but Lebo M – the songwriter and original performer for the Disney film – disagrees with recent interpretations. He explains it’s actually a traditional royal greeting meaning, “All hail the king, we bow before the king.”
A disagreement between Lebo M and Jonasi played out on social media, with Lebo M calling Jonasi an “arrogant… wannabe comedian.” Jonasi responded by defending himself but also saying he respects Lebo M’s work. The conflict escalated this month when Lebo M decided to take legal action.
Learnmore Jonasi served with Lion King lawsuit live on stage
I couldn’t believe it when I saw the video! Jonasi was actually served with legal papers on stage at The Laugh Factory in LA during his set! It turns out they were from Lebo M’s lawsuit, and he posted the whole thing online this week. It’s been all over the news, it’s crazy!
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In the video, a comedian finishes a joke when someone throws a brown envelope onto the stage. He immediately reacts, saying, “Oh no, I’ve been served!” The audience is surprised, but Jonasi quickly starts laughing and explains it has to do with a previous joke about The Lion King.
He bluntly dismissed The Lion King, then explained the joke behind his comment, going beyond a simple translation of the phrase he used.
I noticed something while watching The Lion King – why do all the lions have American accents when the movie is set in Africa? It’s strange that only the monkey character has a different accent, and it’s a Caribbean one at that!
Once he’d recovered from the surprise, he referenced a previous joke about becoming an American citizen, playfully saying, “I’ve officially become American – I now have a gluten allergy and anxiety, and I’ve been served! That’s how you know.”
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People are applauding his response to the situation both in person and online. On social media, one fan called it “masterful” and predicted it would become a memorable moment. Another user praised his grace, highlighting the line ‘I’m now American’ as particularly impactful.
People noticed the translation and playfully reacted, saying things like, “This is going to lead to a lawsuit!” Jonasi then used this reaction as inspiration for a t-shirt design, which he’s selling to help cover his legal costs.
Jonasi turns viral moment into merch and GoFundMe
The comedian is selling merchandise – t-shirts and hoodies – featuring a cartoon of himself. Originally, the design showed him holding a lion with the caption, “It’s a lion.” He’s now released a new version showing him holding a book and saying, “Look, it’s a lawsuit. Oh my god.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by LEARNMORE (@learnmore_jonasi)
He posted a photo of his merchandise, available on his website, with a message asking fans to buy a T-shirt to help cover his legal costs.
He’s also started a GoFundMe campaign that has already raised over $16,000 towards its $20,000 goal. Despite his comedic background, he shared in the campaign description that this is a very challenging time for him.
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 harmless bit of fun has unfortunately turned into a serious legal dispute, he explained.
I’m a comedian and content creator who’s always aimed to entertain, not cause harm. Now, I’m facing incredibly high legal costs just to protect my right to free speech and continue making jokes. I simply can’t afford these fees on my own, and I’m asking for your support.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will directly fund my legal defense, allowing me to fight this unfair claim and protect my ability to earn a living. Please help me reach my fundraising goal so I can continue sharing my story.
Jonasi has posted screenshots on his Facebook page showing some of the negative comments he’s gotten. One comment falsely accused him of being upset about a Black man’s success, while another told him he needed to learn more about languages spoken in South Africa.
Jonasi shared these images, explaining, “I’m not looking for pity, but it’s painful to see Africans in conflict. We share a common history, aspirations, and a desire for a brighter future. We should prioritize unity over hatred.”
Lebo M responds to lawsuit case
Lebo M spoke about the matter in an interview with Newzroom Afrika this week, but explained he couldn’t discuss the details of the case because of legal reasons.
“This has been a very difficult period… I’m obviously now under legal restrictions on what I can and cannot talk about,” he explained.
The composer firmly stated he created the song, explaining, “I wrote this… it’s a South African piece.” He said the chant comes from his own culture and reflects the political situation at the time it was made.
Lebo M didn’t want to go into detail about the situation, but he indicated it’s more serious than just a joke. He explained that it ‘stopped being funny’ and that he’s acting to ‘protect his work and reputation’.
On March 16th, a lawsuit was filed in California against Jonasi, claiming they made false and misleading statements. The suit alleges violations of trademark law (the Lanham Act), defamation, damage to business reputation, and intentionally disrupting potential business deals.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lebo M Morake (@thereallebo_m)
Lebo M claims the comedian is falsely explaining the chant’s meaning, which is harming his reputation, business, and potential future career opportunities.
Jonasi needs to officially respond to the lawsuit, and he’s currently raising money to pay for legal fees.
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2026-03-27 18:20