NPR: Man Photographed As A Baby On 'Nevermind' Cover Sues Nirvana For Sexual Exploitation

[Springfield]

Quote

 

The cover for Nevermind, a 1991 Nirvana album that is said to have helped redefine rock music, features a naked 4-month-old baby in a pool, appearing to swim after a dollar bill that's pierced with a fish hook.

That baby — the now 30-year-old Spencer Elden — is suing Nirvana for child exploitation and pornography, saying the band knowingly distributed the naked photo of Elden as a baby and profited from it. 

He's asking for $150,000 in damages from each of the defendants, which include members of the band, Kurt Cobain's estate, photographer Kirk Weddle, Universal Music, Geffen Records, Warner Records and MCA Music.

The cover photo was shot by Weddle, who was a friendof Elden's father. The lawsuit accuses Weddle of producing a "sexually graphic" photo of Elden. It adds that there was initially pushback against featuring Elden's genitals on the album cover and the plan was to place a sticker over it.

"The sticker, however, was never incorporated into the album cover," the lawsuit states.

Elden's parents also never signed a release authorizing the use of the image, and Elden himself never received any compensation, the lawsuit says.

 

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/25/1030918537/spencer-elden-nirvana-nevermind-baby-cover-lawsuit

[TheGoodBits]

 

[LadySkinsFan]

If his parents signed a contract for him to appear, this case is moot. The lawsuit says his parents never signed a release. 

 

They shouldn't have depicted his genitals on the album cover. 

 

Interesting lawsuit.

Edited August 25, 2021 by LadySkinsFan

[Forehead]

Big problem here, he's given multiple interviews over the years about how cool it was to be associated with the whole thing.  There's no chance he prevails.

[No Nonsense]

He actually thinks this is child pornography? SMH

[Califan007 The Constipated]

He's disillusioned and most likely broke...an "everyone else connected to this album made millions but I didn't make a dime" type of mentality:

 

https://time.com/4499648/nirvana-nevermind-25-baby-spencer-elden/

 

The Baby From Nirvana's Nevermind Is 25 Now

 

Spencer Elden was just a few months old when his parents got a call from underwater photographer Kirk Weddle, who asked if he could use their newborn baby as part of a photoshoot for an up-and-coming band called Nirvana. At the time, Elden’s father helped with sets, custom rigging and props for photo shoots, which is how he got to know Weddle.

Initially, Weddle tried to photograph babies at a swimming class, but none of those images fit what Geffen Records was looking for, so they wound up choosing one of the stills that Weddle took of Elden. Later on, a fish hook with a dollar bill was eventually added, to make it look as if the baby was swimming towards it. Elden’s parents were reportedly paid only $200, and the shoot lasted around 15 seconds.

 

Even though Elden has recreated the photo shoot a number of times and has a large tattoo that says “Nevermind” on his chest, he says he hasn’t fully come to terms with being on the album’s cover. “I got a little upset for a bit,” he says. “I was trying to reach out to these people. I never met anybody. I didn’t get a call or email. I just woke up already being a part of this huge project. It’s pretty difficult—you feel like you’re famous for nothing, but you didn’t really do anything but their album.”

 

Frustrated about never receiving any sort of compensation for Nevermind, Elden recently looked into pursuing legal action against Geffen Records, but was unsuccessful. “It’s hard not to get upset when you hear how much money was involved,” he says. (Nevermind has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.) “[When] I go to a baseball game and think about it: ‘Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,’ I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked,” says Elden.

 

Though he’s occasionally bitter about the role he played in Nevermind, Elden admits, “I think it’s also me being carried away with it and thinking about it too much.” He likes the album artwork itself, describing the concept as “genius,” but draws the line at merchandising, including puzzles and mugs. “Nirvana’s cool, I guess—it’s just weird being a part of it.”

[Llevron]

Yea I dont blame him for giving it a shot, honestly. Its not going to happen though. If you are broke and this is the last bullet in your chamber, shot it......I guess. 

[Hersh]

Quote

[When] I go to a baseball game and think about it: ‘Man, everybody at this baseball game has probably seen my little baby penis,’ I feel like I got part of my human rights revoked,” says Elden.

 

 

First, he's going to regret saying it like this. Second, I can't be the only one that immediately thought of Scary Movie. 

[Forehead]

5 minutes ago, Hersh said:

 

First, he's going to regret saying it like this. Second, I can't be the only one that immediately thought of Scary Movie. 

 

Yes, and you aren't.  Correct on all counts.

[Spaceman Spiff]

13 minutes ago, Hersh said:

 

First, he's going to regret saying it like this. Second, I can't be the only one that immediately thought of Scary Movie. 

 

He's dumb to say that.  But that assumes that everyone in the stadium knows who he his and what he looks like today.  

 

Quite frankly, he should really be worried if his junk didn't grow from the time that photo was taken.  Seems like that's a possibility.  

[Hersh]

Seriously, no one knows who it is. I wonder if the biggest diehard fans would even recognize the name if someone randomly mentioned it without reference to the photo. 

 

I don't blame him for asking for more money if it's still being used and he didn't get anything for it. It's an iconic photo/album cover. Hook'em up with a signed guitar or let him go on a date with Courtney "the Cobain killer" Love 

[Springfield]

Can you just imagine how much trim that jackass has possibly gotten in his adult life just getting by as the baby with his dick out on that Nirvana album. Like, I bet he’s made his whole life about this one baby pic.

 

What a sad person.

[Momma There Goes That Man]

1 hour ago, Hersh said:

 

First, he's going to regret saying it like this. Second, I can't be the only one that immediately thought of Scary Movie. 

 

1 hour ago, Forehead said:

 

Yes, and you aren't.  Correct on all counts.

 

“you mean Bobby’s got a baby dick too?” 
 

Bobby (looking absolutely terrified of her answer) 

 

love that movie 

[skinsmarydu]

Is there a baby that can be named for my Youthanasia (Megadeth) shirt? 

[PartyPosse]

So I used to work with VH1 and we did a special on him at his workshop in Glendale. Seemed like a good dude so we ended up hanging out for a while. He was working under the tutelage of Fairey but I don’t know where that ended off. Anyways, he always seemed cool with it, but this was years ago. Guess the art world never took off. I have a couple of his pieces somewhere.

[Die Hard]

5 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Quite frankly, he should really be worried if his junk didn't grow from the time that photo was taken.  Seems like that's a possibility.  

 

[Kosher Ham]

Ummm.... Nevermind. 

[tshile]

If offer him 25k total and tell him to screw off. 

[Simmsy]

41 minutes ago, PartyPosse said:

So I used to work with VH1 and we did a special on him at his workshop in Glendale. Seemed like a good dude so we ended up hanging out for a while. He was working under the tutelage of Fairey but I don’t know where that ended off. Anyways, he always seemed cool with it, but this was years ago. Guess the art world never took off. I have a couple of his pieces somewhere.

Haha! You could probably sell his art off of his name and make more off of it than he would ever get in a lawsuit. Laughing at the hypothetical absurdity, not the guy himself. I say go for it, but saying child pornography is what is making everyone call BS on him.

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

2 hours ago, tshile said:

If offer him 25k total and tell him to screw off. 

 

I'd just tell him to **** off.  I hate pieces of **** like this guy.