Meghan Markle at The Lion King premiere in 2019. (Image: Getty)
A star from The Lion King remake expressed his confusion over claims that following her marriage to .
Dr John Kani, the voice of Rafiki in the film, said the Duchess of Sussex may have made a significant “faux pas” during a 2022 interview with US magazine, The Cut.
She remarked that an unnamed South African actor from The Lion King had shared how people rejoiced in the streets for her wedding, much like they did when Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
Asserting to be the sole South African in the remake’s cast, Dr Kani claimed that he never met the Duchess.
Meghan’s account of the exchange at the London premiere of The Lion King in 2019 was: “He looked at me, and he’s just like light. He said, ‘I just need you to know: When you married into this family, we rejoiced in the streets the same we did when Mandela was freed from prison’.”
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry met Beyonce and Jay Z at the 2019 Lion King premiere. (Image: Getty)
However, Dr Kani, who is also an acclaimed actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, said that not only was he absent from the London premiere, but he has also never encountered Meghan.
The actor told MailOnline: “I have never met . This seems like something of a faux pas by her. I have never met the Duchess at all. I am the only South African member of the cast and I did not attend the premiere in London.”
He clarified that his commitments took him from ‘s opening night directly to Paris for a sequel film shoot, precluding his attendance at the Leicester Square event.
He added: “The only South African was me playing Rafiki. But I did not go to the opening in Leicester Square as I didn’t have the time to do that. It just may be a miss-remembering on her side.”
Dr John Kani said he has never met Meghan Markle. (Image: Getty)
Reacting to comments made by Meghan, he said he found them “baffling” and expressing that in South Africa Harry and Meghan’s wedding was “no big deal”.
He added an air of dismissal toward the controversy by commenting: “I am confused about this. She is an important person in her own life.”
Dr Kani reprises his role as Rafiki in The Lion King sequel, Mufasa. The live-action film will be released in the UK on Friday, December 20.
Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and Beyoncé are also reprising their roles.
The film will include a tribute to the original , who died in September 2024 at the age of 92.