Report: Duke 'not happy' about viral 'White Lotus' scene with university branding, undecided on lawsuit

‘White Lotus’ is a highly-rated and acclaimed show at HBO. With that attention, though, has come a run in with one of the bigger brands in college sports.

Per reporting by Front Office Sports, the Duke Blue Devils are “not happy” with the portrayal of their name involving one of the show’s characters in Timothy Ratliff. That comes after the fifth episode of this current season where Ratliff, who’s wearing a Duke shirt in the scene, abuses drugs and contemplates suicide, to the extent of writing a note and putting a gun to his head, due to an investigation into his business.

HBO's 'White Lotus' depicted a character contemplating suicide while wearing a Duke shirt.

The university is not happy—but wouldn't say if it would sue or request the episode be edited, telling FOS:

"Using any collegiate brand in this way trivializes a real and tragic problem."

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 27, 2025

“Our only goal is to point out that all artists need to be mindful of the impact when they depict something as consequential as suicide with a college brand,” Frank Tramble, a school spokesperson, said to FOS. “We take mental health and suicide very seriously, and using any collegiate brand in this way trivializes a real and tragic problem.”

That was not the only comment. Tramble also addressed the matter elsewhere.

“Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling,” Tramble said in a separate story by ‘The New York Times’. “But characters’ prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke’s federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists.”

The content is obviously graphic in nature considering the representation shown. That, combined with its use in spaces like social media, is now the concern of Duke.

That said, FOS’s Dennis Young notes it’s “not quite clear what (the Blue Devils) are seeking from HBO or…Warner Bros. Discovery.” Because of this he didn’t address any potential lawsuits, edit requests, or otherwise regarding the show. Even if they did file, though, three experts cited between the two separate articles at Front Office Sports and the New York Times believed that Duke would be unsuccessful in any suit.

HBO did not provide a comment to Young in the story at FOS. No one else did either from out of Durham besides Tramble.

This comes at arguably the most notable time of the year for Duke, considering how its brand is connected as a blue blood in college basketball. The Blue Devils have their men’s team about to again appear in the Sweet 16 as the current favorite to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils also have their women’s team about to make its own second consecutive appearance in the Sweet 16 as one of the favorites in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament.

Works, such as a show like ‘White Lotus’, have some inherent protection in what they produce creatively. However, from the other standpoint, one could see the reason why it’d bother an opposition like Duke here, considering how they’re incorporated in this kind of work.