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The On-Stage Moment a Comedian Found out He Was Being Sued $27 Million for His R-Rated Translation of a ‘Lion King’ Song

The singer of the movie’s iconic opening song alleges that the comic intentionally mistranslated their lyrics

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When stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi hit the stage at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles earlier this month, the last thing he was probably thinking was that he’d be getting sued over a joke. But before he could even finish his set, he was served papers telling him exactly that. Jonasi’s offense? Jokingly mistranslating the lyrics to “Circle of Life,” the opening song from the 1994 animated Disney film The Lion King. Evidently, the song’s vocalist, known professionally as Lebo M, didn’t find the gag all that funny.

The mistranslation in question occurred during a recent appearance Jonasi made on the One54 podcast. While discussing the opening chant from “Circle of Life,” Jonasi told the show’s hosts that the lyrics translate to “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God,” much to their amusement. According to Disney’s official translation, the actual English lyrics are “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.” Jonasi also made similar remarks in his stand-up act prior to the now-viral moment when he got served on stage:

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Lebo M’s lawsuit alleges that Jonasi intentionally mistranslated the iconic lyrics and that he mocked their “cultural significance.” The singer’s lawyers acknowledge that one of the words in the opening chant can be literally translated as “lion”; however, they argue that it’s used as a “royal metaphor” meant to invoke kingship. Because Jonasi presented his translation “as an authoritative fact,” the complaint says that it shouldn’t be protected by the First Amendment. Lebo M is seeking $27 million in damages, claiming that Jonasi’s statements have interfered with his business dealings.

For his part, Jonasi said that he’s a “big fan” of both Lebo M and “Circle of Life.” When he first found out the singer was upset with him, he hoped the two could make a video together to explain the song’s true meaning to people. That all changed following some heated back-and-forth on social media. Jonasi is currently on a U.S. tour and has raised nearly $17,000 in a GoFundMe campaign as of press time to help secure legal representation.

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