There’s a very good chance you have seen Spender Elden naked, even if you don’t know who he is. In fact, I’d be genuinely startled if you’ve never seen him naked. Spencer Elden is the naked baby (now grown — and presumably clothed– man) from the cover of Nirvana’s Nevermind album, and now he is suing the surviving members of Nirvana as well as the estate of Kurt Cobain over the image.

 

The lawsuit argues that the album cover is child sexual exploitation and alleges that Elden’s legal guardians never signed a release authorizing the use of his likeness. The image that became the album cover was taken by a photographer named Kirk Weddle, who was a friend of Spencer Elden’s father, Rick. Rick told the story of how the photo came to be in a 2008 interview with NPR.

 

In the past Spencer has seemed to wear the fact that he is “the Nevermind baby’ as a point of pride, having recreated the picture multiple times and having the words “nevermind” tattooed across his chest. In recent years however he seems to have had a change of heart. In a 2016 interview he expressed frustrations about the situation, saying “I’m pissed off about it, to be honest.” He added that the original payment for the photograph was only $200 and that he does not receive royalties for his appearance in the image and that “it’s like some giant corporation now.”

 

Nirvana’s representatives have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

Filed under: lawsuit, nevermind, nirvana, spencer-elden