Learnmore Jonasi is calling for his fans to publicly support him as he faces a high-profile lawsuit from Lebo M over a joke about Disney’s iconic movie, “The Lion King.”
In a message shared on GoFundMe, Jonasi described the situation as overwhelming.
“My name is Learnmore Jonasi, and I am reaching out during one of the most difficult moments in my life,” he wrote. “I was recently hit with a $27 million lawsuit… What started as a bit of humor has escalated into a devastating legal battle.”
BREAKING NEWS: Grammy-winning composer Lebo M is suing a Zimbabwean comedian Learnmore Jonasi for defamation and other claims over a viral podcast clip.⁰
The lawsuit alleges Jonasi misrepresented the meaning of the iconic chant from Disney’s The Lion King.⁰
Lebo M is seeking… pic.twitter.com/lxc8BQtF3b— PSAFLIVE (@PSAFLIVE) March 19, 2026
He said the financial strain is too much for him to be able to fight the lawsuit. “The legal costs… are beyond my means,” he explained, adding that he plans to fight what he called an “unjust claim.”
“I am truly grateful for all your support and kindness,” Jonasi continued. “Because of you, I now have a fighting chance.”
The lawsuit stems from comments Jonasi made about the opening chant in The Lion King, which Lebo M says were inaccurate. According to the complaint, the statements were “false” and “presented… as authoritative fact, not comedy.”
Zimbabwean comedian, Learnmore Jonasi was served with a lawsuit while performing live on stage in California.
This followed a $27million defamation and related claims suit filed by South African Grammy-winning composer Lebo M, the creator of the iconic chant from The Lion King. pic.twitter.com/zxOj8ImwUp
— Urban Insight (@urbaninsight_) March 24, 2026
The filing also claims the joke was “a fabricated, trivializing distortion.”
Jonasi has also addressed a personal exchange between the two. “But the moment he called me a self-hating negro, that’s when everything changed for me,” he said. “This person is literally not just attacking the joke, but my character.”
The case is ongoing.