Lebo M ordered to pay R640,000 to comedian following the 'Lion King' chant dispute
South African composer Lebo M has been ordered to pay Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi US$39,560 (about R640,000) in legal fees after losing a legal battle over a joke about the iconic 'Lion King' chant.
South African musician and composer Lebohang “Lebo M” Morake has reportedly lost a legal battle against comedian Learnmore Jonasi over a joke about the iconic opening chant from Disney’s 'The Lion King'.
The legal dispute began earlier this year after Jonasi appeared on the One54 Africa podcast, where he joked about the meaning of “Nants’ Ingonyama bagithi Baba” - the famous chant featured in the 'Circle of Life', the first track on the Billboard 200-topping 1994 soundtrack to 'The Lion King'.
While the phrase is officially translated as "All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king”, Jonasi jokingly claimed that it meant: “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God.”
The clip went viral on social media, with the comedian’s joke attracting widespread attention.
However, the joke did not sit well with Lebo M, who subsequently filed a lawsuit against Jonasi in California.
The composer accused the comedian of defamation and other wrongdoing, arguing that his interpretation of the chant was a “fabricated, trivializing distortion” intended as a “sick joke” for unlawful self-profit.
The legal battle has now gone in Jonasi’s favour.
On Friday, US District Judge Josephine Staton ruled that Jonasi had prevailed in his anti-SLAPP motion. California’s anti-SLAPP law allows defendants to challenge lawsuits that arise from protected speech, particularly where the case concerns expression on matters of public interest.
As a result, Lebo M has reportedly been ordered to pay Jonasi US$39,560 (about R640,000) in legal fees to his two attorneys for the costs incurred during the case.
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