Nirvana and several other related parties are being sued over the cover art for the band’s landmark 10x multi-platinum 1991 album “Nevermind“. Spencer Elden, who appeared naked on the cover while four-months-old, filed suit against the band today, August 24th in a federal court in the Central District of California. The estate of the group’s late singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain, the album’s photographer Kirk Weddle, DGC Records and more were also named in that suit.
Elden claims that the album cover was taken without his consent and that his legal guardians also did not provide consent for the photo. He also claims that the cover art, which partially shows his genitalia, constitutes as child pornography and child sexual exploitation. He further claims that the image has caused him to suffer “lifelong damages”, which he continues to suffer from. Elden has previously stated his father was originally paid $200 for the photo.
In the suit Elden alleged that the band had promised to cover his genitals on the album cover with a sticker, but that they never went through with it. It has previously been said that Kurt Cobain and Geffen Records butted heads over censoring the image around its initial release.
Elden is seeking damages that amount to at least $150,000 per each of the defendants named in the suit and has demanded a trial by jury. Back in 2016, Elden recreated the famous album cover while adorned in shorts for the album’s then 25 anniversary. He told The New York Post at the time:
“The anniversary means something to me. It’s strange that I did this for five minutes when I was 4 months old and it became this really iconic image. It’s cool but weird to be part of something so important that I don’t even remember.”
[via TMZ]
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