US Edition
Published • loading... • Updated
Comedian faces $27m lawsuit for joking about The Lion King
Morake alleges Jonasi's mistranslation and mocking of The Lion King's chant caused over $20 million in damages by harming his royalties and business ties.
- On March 19, Grammy-winning composer Lebohang Morake filed a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against comedian Learnmore Jonasi, seeking $27 million for allegedly mistranslating *The Lion King* opening chant.
- During a February 25 appearance on the One54 podcast, Jonasi translated the Zulu chant 'Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba' as 'Look, there's a lion,' prompting hosts to laugh at the interpretation the lawsuit claims mocks the chant's cultural significance.
- Morake's lawsuit claims viral comments damaged his business relationships and royalties, causing more than $20 million in actual damages. Lawyers argue 'ingonyama' functions as a 'royal metaphor' invoking kingship, not a literal 'lion' translation.
- Jonasi claims he initially sought to collaborate with Morake but the composer refused, calling him an 'idiot' and 'self-hating negro.' The comedian posted videos joking about the lawsuit, garnering more than 100,000 likes.
- The lawsuit argues Jonasi presented his translation as 'authoritative fact, not comedy,' potentially disqualifying it from First Amendment protections afforded to parody. The case may force courts to define when translation-based humor becomes actionable defamation.
Insights by Ground AI
Podcasts & Opinions
84 Articles
84 Articles
'Look, it's a lawsuit!' Lion King composer sues comedian over song translation
The composer behind the iconic 'Lion King' chant had a comedian served with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit for allegedly trivializing lyrics with a translation that went viral online.
·Los Angeles, United States
Read Full Article
‘Lion King’ singer sues comedian for $20M for mistranslating ‘Circle of Life’ chant
The Grammy-winning South American vocalist who sang the famous opening chant in the song “Circle of Life” at the beginning of the Disney movie is suing a comedian for $20 million for “intentionally misrepresenting” the meaning of the tune.
·New York, United States
Read Full Article
‘The Lion King’ Singer Sues Comedian for Mistranslating ‘Circle of Life’ Chant and Seeks More Than $20 Million in Damages
Lebohang Morake, who performed the iconic opening chant in "Circle of Life" in "The Lion King," is suing the comedian Learnmore Jonasi.
·Los Angeles, United States
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources84
Leaning Left16Leaning Right6Center47Last UpdatedBias Distribution68% Center
Bias Distribution
- 68% of the sources are Center
68% Center
L 23%
C 68%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
