Comedian sued over ‘Lion King’ joke got served $27M lawsuit onstage: ‘They thought it was a bit’
Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi says being handed a $27 million lawsuit in the middle of a stand-up performance ended up making his show even more entertaining.
Jonasi was performing at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles when someone approached the stage and delivered legal papers to him while he was in the middle of his routine. The unexpected moment happened as he was telling jokes during his set, and many people in the crowd initially believed it was part of the act.
According to Jonasi, the situation actually energized the audience.
He said people thought the moment was a planned bit until he clarified that he was genuinely being served. The surprise of the situation made the room react even more, turning the interruption into an unusual highlight of the show. Jonasi said he enjoys unpredictable moments during performances and often thrives on challenges like unexpected audience reactions.
The lawsuit was filed by Grammy-winning South African singer Lebohang Morake. The legal complaint centers on a joke Jonasi told about the famous opening chant in “Circle of Life,” the song heard at the beginning of Disney’s 1994 animated film “The Lion King.”
While appearing on the podcast “One54,” Jonasi joked that the chant “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” translates literally to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God.” Morake claims the joke misrepresented the meaning of the lyrics and harmed his professional reputation and business relationships.
Disney’s official interpretation of the Zulu phrase is “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”
Jonasi said he first learned about the March 16 lawsuit while performing just a few days later, on March 20. At the time, he was on stage joking about his experience visiting West Virginia after dreaming about coming to the United States because of how the country promotes famous destinations like Las Vegas and Times Square.
In the middle of that routine, the legal papers were handed to him.
Video captured the unusual moment as Jonasi laughed about it onstage while some members of the audience appeared stunned.
The federal lawsuit argues that Jonasi’s joke diminishes the value of the song and negatively affects Morake’s royalty earnings and reputation.
Jonasi strongly disagrees with those claims. He argues that the joke has actually sparked renewed interest in the decades-old song and the film.
He said many people have contacted him saying the joke made them want to watch the movie again. Others have sent videos repeating the humorous translation, sometimes holding up their dogs and jokingly calling them lions.
During the podcast episode where the joke originated, the hosts laughed after hearing Jonasi’s explanation of the chant. One host responded with disbelief, saying the translation couldn’t possibly be correct. Jonasi jokingly insisted that it was.
In Zulu, the word “lion” can sometimes be used symbolically to refer to a king depending on the context, which Jonasi says is where the humor of the joke comes from.
He described the bit as a joke built around a piece of truth, pointing to the difference between literal wording and figurative meaning.
Jonasi also said he was surprised that a comedy joke could lead to such a large lawsuit, calling the situation ridiculous.
To help cover legal expenses, supporters have created a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with hiring a lawyer. By Friday afternoon the fundraiser had collected more than $17,000.
Jonasi says comedy is meant to spark conversation and discussion.
“Circle of Life,” written by Elton John and featured in the 1994 film “The Lion King,” became one of the movie’s most recognizable songs. The film later inspired a global stage musical and a remake released in 2019.
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