A United States federal judge has dismissed the US$27 million defamation lawsuit filed against Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi by acclaimed South African composer Lebo M, bringing to an end one of the year’s most closely watched entertainment legal battles.
The case stemmed from a joke Jonasi made during an appearance on the One54 Africa Podcast, where he humorously translated the famous opening Zulu chant from Disney’s The Lion King as: “Look, there’s a lion. Oh, my God.”
The clip quickly went viral across social media, but sparked a furious response from Lebo M, whose full name is Lebohang Morake, the singer and composer whose iconic vocals feature in the opening of Circle of Life.
Morake insisted the chant, “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba,” carries a far deeper cultural meaning, saying it translates to: “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king,” reflecting themes of royalty, ancestry and African heritage.
Arguing that Jonasi had falsely presented the translation as fact and damaged both his reputation and the cultural significance of the song, Morake filed a US$27 million defamation lawsuit in March.
However, the case has now been dismissed after both parties agreed to end the litigation. US District Judge Josephine Staton approved the voluntary dismissal in a ruling issued on Friday.
The dismissal does not prevent Jonasi from seeking to recover his legal costs. His lawyer, Bryan Sullivan, said the comedian intends to apply for attorneys’ fees under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which is designed to discourage lawsuits aimed at suppressing free speech.
“We have always believed this was a frivolous lawsuit in violation of our client’s First Amendment rights,” Sullivan said.
The legal battle attracted international attention, with one of its most memorable moments coming when Jonasi was served with court papers while performing at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles.
Rather than stopping the show, the comedian turned the interruption into part of his routine, earning laughs from the audience before later using the lawsuit as material in his performances.
Jonasi also embraced the controversy by launching merchandise featuring the slogan: “Look, it’s a lawsuit. Oh, my God.” The T-shirts referenced both his viral joke and The Lion King, with proceeds helping to fund his legal defence.
He also launched a GoFundMe campaign, telling supporters that what had begun as a joke had turned into an expensive legal fight over his right to make people laugh.
Following the court’s decision, Jonasi celebrated the outcome in a video shared on social media.
“Look, the case has been dismissed. I’m finally free, ladies and gentlemen. You have no idea how stressful this whole experience has been,” he said.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the judge for dismissing this frivolous case. I’ve been holding back from talking about all the drama while the case was ongoing but now? Game on.”
For Jonasi, the ruling marks the end of an unexpected courtroom battle that transformed a viral comedy moment into an international free speech debate.
The victory also comes just weeks before the comedian returns to Zimbabwe for a nationwide comedy tour expected to include performances in Harare, Bulawayo and Masvingo.
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