(L) Lebo M at the official South African Premiere of Disney’s The Lion King at the Johannesburg Country Club on July 18, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (R ) Learnmore Jonasi performing at The Ice House Comedy Club on January 14, 2026 in Pasadena
A viral dispute involving the iconic “Lion King” chant has escalated into a legal battle.
Lebohang Morake, the Grammy-winning South African composer of the opening chant in Disney’s “The Lion King,” is suing comedian Learnmore Mwanyenyeka, known professionally as Learnmore Jonasi, over his interpretation of the song’s lyrics.
Here’s what to recognize about the lyrics and the lawsuit:
‘Lion King’ Translation Controversy
The dispute originated from statements Jonasi made during his stand-up routines and in a podcast interview, where he translated the lyrics of “The Lion King’s” opening chant from Zulu and Xhosa, two of South Africa’s 12 official languages.
On an episode of the One54 podcast, Jonasi offered a translation of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” as, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.” The podcast hosts reacted with laughter, noting they had previously believed the chant to be more profound.
The Lawsuit
Disney’s official translation of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” is “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses Jonasi of intentionally misrepresenting the chant and diminishing the composer’s contribution by mocking “the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations.”
According to the complaint, while “ingonyama” can literally translate to “lion,” it is used in the song as a “royal metaphor” representing kingship. Morake’s lawyers argue that Jonasi intentionally misrepresented an African vocal proclamation rooted in South African tradition.
By the numbers:
Morake is seeking $27 million in damages, claiming Jonasi’s comments interfere with his business relationships with Disney and his royalty income. He is also seeking $7 million in punitive damages.
FILE – Lebo M during the official South African Premiere of Disney’s The Lion King at the Johannesburg Country Club on July 18, 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Oupa Bopape/Gallo Images via Getty Images)
Legal Arguments:
The complaint further argues that Jonasi presented his translation “as authoritative fact, not comedy,” and therefore should not be protected under First Amendment provisions for parody and satire.
“Yep, I am officially getting sued for telling that Lion King joke. This is crazy,” Jonasi shared on Instagram. He jokingly asked for recommendations for lawyers and posted a video of himself being served with the lawsuit papers on stage during a performance.
FILE – Comedian Learnmore Jonasi performs at The Ice House Comedy Club on January 14, 2026 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images for ABA)
Who is Learnmore Jonasi?
Learnmore Jonasi is a Zimbabwean comedian who has performed on “America’s Got Talent,” receiving a golden buzzer, and has received several comedy awards.
He is currently on a U.S. Tour.
Jonasi has previously critiqued aspects of “The Lion King” and other depictions of Africa in American popular culture, questioning the lions’ American accents, for example.
Jonasi stated he is a “big fan” of Morake’s work and expressed a desire to collaborate on a video explaining the song’s deeper meaning.
“Comedy always has a way of starting conversation,” Jonasi said in an Instagram video that received over 100,000 likes. “This is your chance to actually educate people, because now people are listening.”
The Source: Information in this article was taken from a One54 Africa podcast episode, Learnmore Jonasi’s Instagram account and a court filing in Los Angeles federal court, as obtained by The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.
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