Duke Upset Over Logo Appearing in HBO Series ‘White Lotus’ Suicide Scene

Duke University has come out strongly against HBO's unauthorized use of its logo in White Lotus. The issue stems from a scene where Jason Isaacs' character thinks about killing himself while wearing Duke-branded clothes. 

"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," said Frank Tramble, Duke's Vice President for Communications, to People. 

The troubling scene from the March 16 episode shows Timothy Ratliff, played by Isaacs, pointing a gun at his head. This fifth episode of season three quickly drew criticism. 

Student mental health lies at the heart of the university's worries. With suicide being the second leading cause of death for college students, the scene hit particularly close to home. Rather than sue, Duke chose to highlight mental health resources. Legal action against HBO would be tough due to First Amendment protections and fair use rules. 

On social media, people have mixed talks about the scene with March Madness chatter. Duke responded on X saying: "Rivalry is part of March Madness, but some imagery goes too far." 

These kinds of brand issues in TV shows have happened before. Peloton recently pushed back when another HBO show put their product in a bad light.