Lebo M is determined to pursue legal action against Learnmore Jonasi for his misinterpretation of the famous chant from the song Circle of Life in Disney’s The Lion King movie.
During his interview on ONE45 podcast, Learnmore claimed “Nants’ Ingonyama” means ”look, there’s a lion”, which led to Lebo instituting a $27m (about R458.3m) lawsuit.
In a statement shared on Tuesday through his team, Lebo M said he’d made three formal ”reasonable” attempts to resolve the dispute with Learnmore privately in pursuit of an amicable resolution, but they were ignored.
“Lebo M has consistently chosen dignity over noise,” said his spokesperson, Tshepo Mboni.
“However, the continued refusal to engage in constructive discussions, coupled with ongoing public misrepresentation, leaves us with no alternative but to proceed through formal legal channels.”
Lebo M’s team said they felt Learnmore had been using the debacle to draw attention to his social media feed and tour dates.
“This is no longer discourse, it is a strategic attempt to pressure and mislead. We will not allow legacy, culture and intellectual property to be negotiated in the court of public opinion.
“The legal claim, previously cited at $27m, remains grounded in a clear legal methodology and is supported by international counsel. We approached this matter with openness. That door has been closed repeatedly. We now move forward with clarity, focus and the full weight of the law behind us.”
Learnmore took to his timeline, thanking people who helped him raise $24,343 on his GoFundMe page.
“Managed to get representation and ready to fight this case, I really appreciate all of you!” he said.
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