This article contains spoilers for Season 3 of The White Lotus.
Duke University isn’t happy about its representation in The White Lotus.
HBO is currently airing Season 3 of the hit show, which follows workers and wealthy guests at a luxury resort in Thailand. The set of characters includes Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs) and his son Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), both alums of Duke.
The father-son duo is troubled, with Saxon participating in incestuous activities, and the father—who’s under a federal investigation for money laundering—entertaining suicidal ideations. In fact, one scene shows Timothy holding a gun to his head while wearing a Duke T-shirt.
The Durham, North Carolina, university subsequently issued a statement, telling Bloomberg that it didn’t consent to the show's use of the logo, particularly in Timothy’s grim scene.
“The White Lotus not only uses our brand without permission, but in our view uses it on imagery that is troubling, does not reflect our values or who we are, and simply goes too far,” said Frank Tramble, Duke’s vice president for communications, marketing, and public affairs.
“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses," Tramble continued. "As imagery from the show is being shared widely across social media, we are using our brand to promote mental health awareness and remind people that help is available.”
Trample also spoke to The New York Times, telling the publication that it "appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling but characters’ prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists.”
Timothy’s harrowing scene was memeified in the days leading up to March Madness, in which Duke is favored to win.
“White Lotus just blessed us w an all-time meme if Duke loses early in the tournament (and for any brutal Duke loss thereafter),” a user tweeted alongside the screenshot of Isaacs from the show.
Duke responded, writing, in part, “Rivalry is part of March Madness, but some imagery goes too far.”
For more information about suicide prevention or to speak with someone confidentially, call or text with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
