The lawsuit filed by South African musician Lebohang Morake, known as Lebo M, against comedian Learnmore Jonasi has been dismissed after Morake agreed to drop it, according to Stereogum.
The dispute stemmed from a viral video in which Jonasi joked that the Zulu chant “Nants'ingonyama bagithi Baba,” which opens Elton John’s The Lion King song “Circle of Life,” meant “Look, there's a lion. Oh my god.” The clip drew more than four million likes on Instagram.
Morake had sought $27 million in damages, saying the joke defamed him and improperly distorted his work. After Jonasi’s lawyers moved to have the case thrown out in May, Morake filed an amended version that added accusations of federal trademark violations.
According to Stereogum, the judge said Jonasi could seek penalties meant to discourage lawsuits that restrict free speech. Jonasi’s attorney said the case was frivolous, and Morake’s dismissal was filed without prejudice, which leaves open the possibility of refiling later.
