SA: Lebo M ordered to pay nearly $40k after defamation case fails

A Los Angeles judge dismissed the case in July after Jonasi’s legal team argued that the lawsuit was frivolous and sought to penalise the comedian for remarks protected by the First Amendment.

The dispute began in February when Jonasi appeared on the One54 Africa podcast and joked about the meaning of the Zulu chant “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba”, which opens “The Circle of Life”.

The chant, written and performed by Lebo M, is commonly translated as “Here comes a lion, father” or “There comes a lion”. During the podcast appearance, Jonasi jokingly suggested that it meant, “Look, there’s a lion, oh my god.”

A clip of the discussion subsequently circulated widely on social media.

Lebo M filed a lawsuit in March seeking $27 million in damages. The composer accused Jonasi of defamation and described the comedian’s interpretation of the chant as a “fabricated, trivializing distortion, meant as a sick joke for unlawful self-profit”.

Jonasi’s lawyers subsequently sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that it infringed on their client’s constitutional right to freedom of expression.

“Because the First Amendment is so important in our society, the court should […] not allow Plaintiff to twist trademark law to suppress free speech,” Jonasi’s attorneys argued.

Lebo M later dropped the lawsuit rather than continue litigating the claims.

Jonasi’s legal team then sought reimbursement for the costs incurred in defending the case. Judge Josephine Staton granted the request under California’s anti-SLAPP law, which provides protections against lawsuits intended to restrict constitutionally protected speech.

The court awarded Jonasi nearly $40 000 in attorneys’ fees, covering more than 50 hours of legal work related to the case.

Lebo M has been associated with The Lion King franchise since the original 1994 animated film and is credited with writing and performing the opening Zulu vocals on “The Circle of Life”. His contributions have remained a prominent part of the franchise’s musical identity across subsequent productions and adaptations.

The ruling brings the legal dispute over Jonasi’s comments to an end, with the composer now liable for the comedian’s qualifying legal costs.