Comedy Prank or Crime? Unbelievable Incident Leaves Bystanders in Shock

It seems the joke was on them.

A comedian, recently targeted with a $27 million lawsuit by the vocalist behind a famous Disney’s “The Lion King” tune, found himself unexpectedly served while performing onstage—but he claims it actually enhanced his set’s humor.

Learnmore Jonasi, a comedian from Zimbabwe, was midway through a routine at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles when legal documents were discreetly handed to him on stage, he shared with The Post on Friday.

“It genuinely made the performance better,” Jonasi said. “Initially, the audience thought it was part of the act. I had to clarify, ‘No, I’m genuinely being served.’ It was a genuine moment that electrified the room. People were left wondering, ‘Did that just really happen?’

“I thrive on unpredictability. I relish a good challenge, and even a solid heckle.”

The legal action was initiated by Grammy-winning South American singer Lebohang Morake, who took issue with Jonasi over the iconic opening chant of “Circle of Life,” featured at the start of the beloved 1994 animated film.

The funnyman had joked that the song’s chant “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” is literally translated to, “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my God,” on the podcast “One54” — allegedly damaging Morake’s reputation and hurting his business relationships, court papers said.

Disney’s official translation of the phrase, sung in the South African language of Zulu, is “All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.”

The comic learned of the March 16 legal filing, which seeks more than $27 million in damages, while poking fun of West Virginia on stage four days later, he said.

“The joke was that it was my dream to come to America because America advertises itself so well with Las Vegas and Times Square,” he told The Post. “And then I went to a place called West Virginia.”

“And right then I got served,” he said. Footage captured the bizzare moment as Jonasi laughs it off while some audience members sit stunned.

The federal lawsuit alleges the “Lion King” joke “diminishes” the song’s value, and has a negative impact on Morake’s royalty income and reputation.

Jonasi called the claims absurd — considering the bit sparked new interest in a more than 30-year-old song.  

“I’ve actually gotten a lot of messages saying, ‘Hey that joke actually made me wanna go back and watch the movie again. It has revived people’s interest in the song. It actually made it more relevant,” he said.

“Before this, most people didn’t  even know the chant was actually words. [Now] I’m getting so many videos of people holding up their dogs saying ‘Look, it’s a lion. Oh my god!.’”

During Jonasi’s appearance on the podcast, the hosts burst into laughter after he made the “translation” — saying they thought it meant something “beautiful and majestic.”

“You’re joking. That is not what that means,” one of the hosts says — to which Jonasi allegedly “doubled down,” insisting, “That’s exactly what it means,” according to court papers.

The word “lion,” however, can be interpreted as “king” in the language depending on context.

“It’s a joke that’s wrapped around the truth,” Jonasi told The Post, citing the difference between the literal and figurative interpretation of the phrase.

“This lawsuit is really really ridiculous. I didn’t know you could get sued for a joke.”

A Gofundme page is now helping Jonasi pay for a lawyer, he said. It had raised more than $17,000 as of Friday afternoon.

“Jokes open a door to discussion, that’s what comedy is supposed to do,” he said.

“Circle of Life” is performed by Elton John in the 1994 movie, which later saw international stage renditions and a film remake in 2019.