A composer who co-wrote The Lion King's "Circle of Life" must pay nearly $40,000 in legal fees after losing a lawsuit he filed against a comedian who joked about the song's Zulu chant on a podcast. South African musician Lebo M sued Learnmore Jonasi for $27 million, alleging defamation, but dropped the case after Jonasi's lawyers argued it was a frivolous attempt to punish protected speech under California's anti-SLAPP law.

The dispute centred on "Nants'ingonyama bagithi Baba," the opening chant of "Circle of Life," which Lebo M wrote and performed; it translates as "All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king." Jonasi had joked on the podcast One54 Africa that it actually meant "Look, there's a lion. Oh my god," a clip that drew 116,000 Instagram likes and 337,000 YouTube views. Judge Josephine Staton ruled on 28 August that Jonasi's legal team, who spent over 50 hours on the case, was entitled to $39,560 in fees and costs under the state's anti-SLAPP provisions.