Duke University References In ‘The White Lotus’ Weren’t Cleared By The Institution

Warning: This post contains spoilers for “The White Lotus.”

References to the famed Duke University in Season 3 of the hit HBO Max series “The White Lotus” were not approved beforehand, according to a spokesperson for the prestigious institution.

“Duke University did not approve the use of its marks in The White Lotus,” Frank Tramble, the vice president for communications, marketing and public affairs at Duke, said in a statement to HuffPost. “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.”

The university did not provide further comment when HuffPost asked if they were considering a lawsuit. HBO declined HuffPost’s request for comment.

The series, created by Mike White, has two more episodes left in this season, which was filmed in Thai cities Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Samui.

Jason Isaacs plays Timothy Ratliff, a father, a wealthy Duke University graduate, and a white-collar criminal who has considered ending his life — and his wife’s — with a stolen gun. Oh, and also, he’s been abusing his wife’s Lorazepam medication behind her back.

It doesn’t stop there: Timothy’s son, Saxon Ratliff, is also a Duke graduate. Saxon — played by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Patrick Schwarzenegger — is depicted in an incestuous threesome with his younger brother, Lochlan, and a woman they met on the trip. Saxon is also commonly making absurd, misogynistic and frankly disturbing comments, about his siblings and women.

“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,” Tramble said in his statement to HuffPost. “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.”

Tramble was likely referring to a scene in which Timothy is holding a gun to his head whilst donning a Duke T-shirt. Screenshots of the scene have made their way to social media.

In one instance, an X user captioned a picture of the scene while referencing the real-life NCAA basketball tournament that Duke University is currently taking part in.

“White Lotus just…