Jason Isaacs addressed the qualms raised by Duke University after its merchandise was “mistakenly” used in season three of The White Lotus, deeming the whole ordeal “fanciful and ridiculous.” After then donning a Duke shirt with the school’s mascot on the front at a Season 3 finale party Sunday, Isaacs appeared to take a dig at the whole situation. “I found the whole thing faintly amusing,” Isaacs, who starred in the recent installment of the HBO hit series as Timothy Ratliff, said in an April 8 episode of the Prestige Junkie podcast. “I don’t like anyone getting upset about anything, but clearly it was just someone fancy seeing their name online and in some department wanting to go viral. Their real life alumni are such a rogues gallery, many of them. The notion that this rather spiritually enlightened character on television caused them any trouble is fanciful and ridiculous.” In a statement last month, Duke criticized The White Lotus for using its “brand without permission” and in a way “that is troubling, does not reflect our values … and simply goes too far.” The university’s merchandise was sported by Isaacs’ character during a particularly harrowing scene where he contemplates suicide.
