Michelle Monaghan Weighs In On That White Lotus Monkey Theory

Each season of The White Lotus spawns some wild theories about who’s going to end up in a coffin, but Season 3’s most viral guess about the new murder mystery is truly bananas. Like, literally. While it may have started as a joke, fans have genuinely begun to believe the gunfire teased in Episode 1 was perpetrated by an animal. However, one of the season’s stars has confirmed that anyone buying into this fervor is in for a big letdown.

Ever since a deadly shooting was depicted in the season premiere, fans have clung to a theory that a monkey will be revealed to be the pulling the trigger. It may have started as a bit of a joke, but given how bizarre The White Lotus can get, the monkey theory has genuinely blown up online. It all stems from how prominently monkeys have been featured and referenced throughout the Thai vacation (especially during the gunfire scene).

But now, fans can officially let the monkey theory disappear back into the trees. “I’ve just got to debunk a theory out here guys. The monkeys did not do it,” Michelle Monaghan said during her March 26 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Kimmel responded by describing the popular speculation: “Those monkeys got hold of that gun and started firing. It would be fantastic!”

But Monaghan said the whole monkey talk is totally off base. “No, people have gone apesh*t thinking that,” the actor said. “Everybody’s lost the plot.”

Well, that’s one suspect fans can officially cross out on their theories list. But just because Monaghan’s character Jaclyn is safe from simian assassins, that doesn’t mean she’s in the clear heading into the highly anticipated finale.

Jaclyn’s tryst with resort employee Valentin seems to foreshadow a lot of danger ahead of herself and her friends Kate and Laurie. All the way back in Episode 2, the show heavily implied that Valentin was involved in the armed robbery of the White Lotus jewelry shop — a supposition that only seems more likely after he introduced his two hard-partying buddies a couple episodes later, who look to have the same build as the two hotel robbers.

Jaclyn and her friends may just be monkeying around now, but it certainly looks like playtime is about to come to a swift end.