Morake v. Mwanyenyeka, No. 2:26-cv-02795-JLS-AS, 2026 WL
2548629 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 28, 2026)
Noted because, well, it’s an unusually bad claim. Morake is
the creator and original performer of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba,” the
opening chant from Disney’s The Lion King. Mwanyenyeka is a “comedian and
content creator” who appeared on a podcast, where he asserted that
“Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” means “Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god” in the
Zulu language. This went viral, and he repeated the joke at various comedy
clubs. Morake alleged that this was false and that the true
translation of “Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba” is “All hail the king, we all bow
in the presence of the king.”
Morake sued for violation of the Lanham Act, defamation,
trade libel, and tortious interference. Mwanyenyeka filed a motion to strike
under California’s anti-SLAPP law, and then Morake dropped all the state claims
in an amended complaint.
The amended complaint now argued false advertising and false
affiliation focused on Mwanyenyeka’s “online
storefront marketing an ‘It’s a Lion’ line of apparel and goods derived
from Plaintiff’s composition.” (Sighs in Dastar.)
Because this sequence showed that Mwanyenyeka was the
prevailing party on the state claims, the court awarded $39,560 in fees.
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