Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi is turning a massive legal fight into a money-making comedy bit. The 32-year-old stand-up performer got hit with a $27 million lawsuit from Grammy-winning composer Lebo M (Lebohang Morake) over a joke about The Lion King’s famous opening chant. Instead of backing down, Jonasi started selling T-shirts and launched a GoFundMe campaign, asking fans: “You can really help me pay these legal fees.”
The legal battle began after Jonasi appeared on the One54 Africa podcast in February 2026. During the episode, he translated the iconic Zulu chant “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” from The Circle of Life as “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.” The podcast hosts laughed, saying they expected something more “beautiful and majestic.”
But Lebo M, who wrote and performed the chant for both the 1994 original Lion King film and the 2019 remake, saw the joke differently. He filed a lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles on March 16, 2026, claiming Jonasi’s translation was a “fabricated, trivializing distortion” meant to mock his life’s work.
What the Lawsuit Claims Against Learnmore Jonasi
The legal complaint states the chant’s real meaning is “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.” Lebo M’s lawyers argue that while “ingonyama” can literally mean “lion” in Zulu, the phrase serves as royal praise poetry called Praise Imbongi, representing kingship and ancestral authority.
The lawsuit seeks more than $20 million in actual damages plus $7 million in punitive damages. Lebo M claims Jonasi’s viral comments could damage his business relationship with Disney, which has used his work for over 30 years across films, stage productions, and merchandise.
Lebo M’s legal team argues Jonasi did not present his translation as comedy but “as authoritative fact, not comedy,” meaning it should not receive First Amendment protections typically given to satire and parody.
Jonasi Gets Served on Stage at The Laugh Factory
In a video that went viral on TikTok and Instagram, Jonasi was served the lawsuit papers while performing on stage at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. The footage shows someone walking up to the stage with a manila folder as Jonasi performs. The comedian asks what it is, and the person responds “service.”
Jonasi laughed it off and told the audience about the joke that sparked the legal battle. He later shared the clip with the caption: “Yep, I am officially getting sued for telling that Lion King joke. This is crazy. Any good lawyers out here, please.”
How Jonasi Is Fighting Back With Merch and Fundraiser
Jonasi launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Learnmore Fight an Unjust Lawsuit” with a goal of raising money for legal defense costs. In his campaign message, he wrote:
“What started as a bit of humor has escalated into a devastating legal battle. I am a passionate creator who never intended harm, but I now face overwhelming legal fees just to defend my right to speak and tell jokes.”
The comedian also started selling merchandise featuring a cartoon of himself holding up papers in a pose similar to Mufasa presenting Simba in The Lion King. The T-shirts read: “Look it’s a Lawsuit. Oh my God.” On Instagram, he promoted the shirts with the caption: “Get your T-shirt now, You can really help me pay these legal fees.”
As of late March 2026, the GoFundMe campaign has raised over $14,000 from supporters.
The Back-and-Forth Between Both Sides Before Court
Before the lawsuit was filed, Jonasi and Lebo M exchanged messages privately. Jonasi said he initially wanted to collaborate with the composer on a video explaining the chant’s true meaning. In an Instagram video posted March 14, Jonasi said:
“Comedy always has a way of starting conversation. This is your chance to actually educate people, because now people are listening.”
But Jonasi said the conversation ended when Lebo M called him “self-hating” in their messages. “That’s when everything changed for me,” Jonasi said. “This person is literally not just attacking the joke, but my character.”
Lebo M posted his own video earlier, saying he tried to engage Jonasi about the issue but found him “arrogant.” The composer said it was “painful to see an ignorant wannabe comedian promote ignorance.”
What’s at Stake for Both Parties
Lebo M’s lawsuit argues the joke could cost him future work with Disney. He has worked with the studio for decades, including recent work on Mufasa: The Lion King. The legal filing states Jonasi’s comments create “legitimate concerns whether Disney will call on his services again.”
Jonasi continues performing across the United States on his comedy tour. He has not yet hired a publicly listed attorney for the case but is using funds from merchandise sales and donations to build his legal defense.
The dispute has drawn attention across entertainment, music, and comedy circles, with many watching how the court will handle the balance between comedy and claims of cultural misrepresentation.
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