A Viral Joke About ‘The Lion King’ Chant Just Sparked a $27 Million Lawsuit
A comedian’s translation of the opening words to “Circle of Life” has ignited a legal and cultural fight between artistry, comedy and the meaning of one of film’s most recognizable moments.
South African composer Lebohang Morake, the Grammy-winning artist who wrote and performed the iconic opening chant in The Lion King, has filed a lawsuit against comedian Learnmore Jonasi. The case, filed this month in federal court in Los Angeles, seeks $27 million in damages: more than $20 million in compensatory damages and $7 million in punitive damages. Morake is seeking a jury trial.
What Happened
The dispute started with a podcast. During an appearance on One54, Jonasi corrected the hosts after they sang the chant incorrectly. “That’s not how you sing it, don’t mess up our language like that,” he said, before singing the lyrics in Zulu. His translation: “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.”
The hosts laughed, saying they thought the words were more “beautiful and majestic.”
The clip went viral. Jonasi then performed a similar bit during a March 12 stand-up show in Los Angeles, where the lawsuit says he “received a standing ovation.”
Two Very Different Translations
The chant has been central to the 1994 film, its stage versions and the 2019 remake. According to Morake, Disney’s official translation of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” is: “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.” The line “Hay! baba, sizongqoba” translates to “Through you we will emerge victoriously,” according to Morake.
Morake’s lawyers argue that while “ingonyama” can literally mean “lion,” the word functions as a “royal metaphor” invoking kingship. The lawsuit accuses Jonasi of intentionally mistranslating the chant from Zulu and Xhosa, mocking “the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations,” and presenting his translation “as authoritative fact, not comedy.” The legal argument: this isn’t protected as parody or satire.
The complaint also claims Jonasi intentionally misrepresented “an African vocal proclamation grounded in South African tradition.” Morake alleges reputational damage, impact on Disney relationships and loss of royalties.
The Comedian’s Response
Jonasi responded in an Instagram video that drew more than 100,000 likes. He said he’s a “big fan” of Morake’s work.
“Comedy always has a way of starting conversation,” Jonasi said. “This is your chance to actually educate people, because now people are listening.”
Jonasi said he initially wanted to collaborate with Morake on a video explaining the chant’s meaning but changed his mind after an exchange of messages in which he said Morake called him “self-hating.”
His broader comedy routine included pointed cultural commentary about the film itself. “The lions had American accents in Africa, and then you had the monkey with an accent,” Jonasi said.
On March 24, Jonasi posted a video of himself being served with the lawsuit papers onstage during a comedy show. Later that day, he posted an Instagram photo wearing a T-shirt depicting himself holding up Simba with the words: “Help me pay these legal fees. T-shirts available in my bio.” The caption read: “You can help me pay these crazy legal fees, I don’t have 27M 😂😂😂.”
No attorney has been publicly listed for Jonasi.
Where it Goes From Here
This case sits at a charged intersection: how comedy, cultural translation and intellectual property claims collide in a viral content landscape. Morake lives in Los Angeles, where the case was filed and where Jonasi recently performed.
The dispute continues to play out across social media, where the question of what those opening words actually mean has become its own flashpoint, separate from whatever a court eventually decides.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
