The third season of HBO’s The White Lotus, set in a luxury resort in Thailand, has drawn ire from Duke University over its depiction of two characters: Timothy Ratliff (Jason Isaacs), and his son Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), as Duke alumni, according to The Guardian report, today Thursday, March 27.

The Ratliff family’s storyline includes disturbing sexual elements, while Timothy, under Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation for money laundering, contemplates suicide in a scene where he holds a gun to his head while wearing a Duke-branded T-shirt.

University condemns use of logo
Duke’s Vice-President for Communications, Frank Tramble, expressed dismay in a statement to Bloomberg, noting the university did not authorise the use of its logo, especially in the suicide scene. 

Highlighting the issue of suicide as the second-leading cause of death on college campuses, Duke is now promoting mental health awareness.

While Duke aims to distance itself from the show’s narrative, the university’s public response might inadvertently draw more attention to the controversy. The Guardian reported that HBO has declined to comment on the matter.