Duke Has A Beef With HBO Hit White Lotus, Says It Went 'Too Far' With Troubling Scene

Duke University is not happy with the creators of ‘The White Lotus,’ the hit series on HBO.

While Duke is among the easiest and most popular schools to pick on, the university being upset with the show is certainly understandable.

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Episode five of ‘The White Lotus,’ which was released on March 16, featured a scene in which the character Timothy Ratliff, who is played by Jason Isaac, with a gun to his head contemplating suicide while wearing a shirt with massive Duke lettering across the front of it.

The moment from the show has gone viral on social media, especially in college basketball circles, as a meme that Duke haters are gearing up to use if the Blue Devils struggle in the near future. Both the men's and women's teams have made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

"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," Frank Tramble, Duke’s vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs, said in part in a statement.

"Suicide is the second-leading cause of death on college campuses. 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.

Duke 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," Tramble said.

The use of the Duke shirt in the specific episode isn't entirely random.

Ratliff’s wife, Victoria Ratliff (played by actress Parker Posey), is a North Carolina alum in the show while their son Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger) is a Duke grad. Their daughter (Sarah Catherine Hook) attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).