A defamation lawsuit filed against Learnmore Jonasi after the comedian joked about the Zulu chant sung in The Lion King staple “The Circle of Life” is now done, after both sides agreed to dismiss it and a judge subsequently agreed.
Back in March, the song’s lead vocalist and co-composer, South African artist Lebo M., real name Lebohang Morak, sued Jonasi for $27 million after the comic made “false statements” about the chant on an episode of One54 Africa. On the podcast, Jonasi said that the Nants’ingonyama chant translated to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”
Morake responded by saying that the chant “signifies Kingship, Ancestral Authority, and Sovereign Presence. The lion is the metaphorical vehicle; the meaning is royalty.”
“Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba,” he continued, actually means, “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”
On Friday (July 10), lawyers for both sides agreed to dismiss the suit, though they agreed that Jonasi still has the option to pursue legal costs. Later that same day, Judge Josephine L. Staton signed off on the deal and made it official.
After the suit was dismissed, Jonasi’s lawyer, Bryan Sullivan, called it “a frivolous lawsuit” that was “in violation of our client’s First Amendment rights,” per Rolling Stone.
In March, Jonasi launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise money to defend himself from the suit.
"My name is Learnmore Jonasi, and I am reaching out during one of the most difficult moments in my life," he wrote in the GoFundMe description. "I was recently hit with a $27 million lawsuit by renowned artist Lebohang Morake (Lebo M) over a joke I made about the Lion King's opening Zulu chant. What started as a bit of humor has escalated into a devastating legal battle."
