Overview
- The Los Angeles Times reported that Lebo M’s team contacted Learnmore Jonasi to explore a structured settlement, and no agreement has been announced.
- The federal complaint, filed March 16 in California, seeks about $27 million and alleges false commercial claims, defamation, trade libel, and interference with business ties.
- Lebo M argues Jonasi’s viral translation harmed his reputation and jeopardized Disney work and royalty income by presenting a false meaning as fact.
- Jonasi was served with the lawsuit onstage at the Laugh Factory and later posted the moment, and he has raised legal funds through merch and a GoFundMe that reached $18,976 toward a $20,000 goal.
- Disney’s cited translation of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” is “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king,” and the suit notes that while “ingonyama” can mean “lion,” the usage here is a royal metaphor that, the filing argues, falls outside protected parody because it was presented as factual.