Duke: White Lotus Went 'Too Far' With References

This season of HBO's The White Lotus has spurred quite a bit of water cooler buzz with some of its "crazy" plot twists, but Duke University isn't thrilled to be part of that conversation. One of the families portrayed on the show—the Ratliffs, played by Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, and Patrick Schwarzenegger, among other actors—counts at least two Duke alum among them, and the school doesn't appreciate the school's name and likeness being splashed across the screen during some of its more controversial scenes, reports the New York Times.

Among the scenes causing the university some angst: when the character played by Isaacs holds a gun to his head as he contemplates suicide, all while wearing a Duke T-shirt, as well as any scene with Schwarzenegger, whose character has a sexual encounter with his own brother and who the Times describes as "a poster child for toxic masculinity." "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," Duke communications rep Frank Tramble tells the paper.

Tramble continues that the Mike White show "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." The university echoed that "too far" stance on X, where it pushed back against a tweet showing Isaacs in the suicidal scene. Still, some intellectual property experts say HBO likely has the law on its side. "You get quite a lot of protection under the First Amendment for artistic endeavors as long as you're not doing something that would be considered defamatory," attorney Scott Landsbaum tells Bloomberg.

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Jeanne Fromer, a professor who specializes in intellectual property law at NYU's School of Law, suggests Duke should've probably just ignored the show's references. "On the one hand, I understand that Duke is trying to disassociate themselves from this," Fromer tells the Times. "On the other hand, they're drawing attention to it." No comment from HBO.

If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com. (More The White Lotus stories.)