America’s Got Talent Season 19 finalist Learnmore Jonasi is reportedly being sued by the chant composer for The Lion King over comments which allegedly defame the meaning of the Zulu language.
AGT Comedian Learnmore Jonasi Sued Over Lion King Joke
Lebohang Morake, also known as Leso M, is reportedly suing Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi for $27 million over comments Jonasi made about the iconic chant created and performed by Morake for The Lion King‘s song “The Circle of Life.”
According to People, during an appearance on the One54 Africa podcast, Jonasi claimed that the Zulu chant “Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba,” which opens The Lion King, could be translated as “Look, there’s a lion. Oh, my God.”
Morake’s complaint argues that Jonasi “presented this as authoritative fact, not comedy,” and that he “mocked the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations.” The complaint goes on to state, “The true meaning of Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba is ‘All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.'”
Earlier this month, Learnmore Jonasi posted a video on Instagram responding to Morake, who had reached out to say Jonasi was “disrespecting his work.” Jonasi said he loved “The Circle of Life,” adding that his comments about the chant were “just a joke.”
Jonasi asked Morake to watch the full podcast interview, in which he discussed “African culture and identity.” The comedian refused to apologize to the composer, insisting, “I never insulted him. He called me an idiot. He called me a wannabe comedian.”
According tothe lawsuit, Morake apparently messaged Jonasi on Instagram after his comments went viral, telling the comedian that his “stated comments were not part of standup and sought to ‘erase over 30 years of work.'”
What do you think about the situation? Is Morake’s lawsuit justified? Let us know in the comments below.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
