Duke University sends statement, wanting to distance itself from popular television show

"The White Lotus" is a popular television show on HBO Max.

The show is about a group of wealthy guests at a tropical resort, but dark secrets and truths about the guests and staff are later revealed, creating this drama series that is currently in its third season.

And now, Duke University has gotten involved after a scene displayed a false narrative of some sort of endorsement deal between the university and the popular television show.

Season three of the show centers around the Ratliff family, who live in Durham. Two family members, the father Timothy and oldest son Saxon, are graduates of Duke. But, the mother Victoria and daughter Piper went to the University of North Carolina. The family's youngest son and high school senior, Lochlan, is in the process of making a decision for where to attend college after being admitted to both Duke and UNC.

Timothy is involved in a money laundering scheme, which eventually leads the character to contemplate suicide. In a scene where Timothy is holding a gun to his head, he is wearing a gray T-shirt with "Duke" written across it.

This didn't sit well with the real-life University, and Duke later said they don't want to be involved with the show.

Frank Tramble, Duke University's vice president of communications, marketing, and public affairs, told the New York Times the university's desire to not be associated with the show.

"Duke appreciates artistic expression and creative storytelling, but prominently wearing apparel bearing Duke's federally registered trademarks creates confusion and mistakenly suggests an endorsement or affiliation where none exists," Tramble said in an email.

Tramble later said that the TV 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 hit drama is heavily involved with Duke as two of the family members of the Ratliff family attended the university, and the scene where Timothy is holding a gun to his head with Duke apparel on crossed the line, and now the university is looking to distance itself from the show altogether.