Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ Cover Baby Begs Them to Nix Genitalia Pic for 30th Anniversary
Today (Sept. 24) marks the 30th anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind album, and while a lawsuit was already filed earlier this year, the lawyer for Spencer Elden — the man who was the naked baby on the album's cover art — has once again publicly asked for Universal Music to stop using the cover art.
Elden is currently involved in a court case trying to prevent further usage of the cover art that featured his genitalia, with his legal team citing it being a case of child sexual exploitation and a violation of privacy. The artwork featured the naked child floating in a pool.
His lawyer, Maggie Mable, stated to TMZ, that she's demanding the Universal redact the image of Elden's genitalia from all future album covers. Earlier this week, it was revealed that there will be 30th anniversary expanded and remastered reissues arriving in November. She added that with the anniversary and the reissues coming this week and in the coming months, Elden fears he'll once again be subjected to public scorn and ridicule.
While Elden is reportedly fine with Universal pushing forward with plans to celebrate the album, he's asking Universal to quit using the "naked baby" photo that adorns the cover.
Elden filed suit both against Kurt Cobain's estate and the surviving members of the band back in August. Also named were Universal Music Group, Inc., the David Geffen Company, Geffen Records, Warner Records, Inc., MCA Music Inc. and others associated with the album.
Elden is seeking to recover $150,000 in addition to the cost of the action of the lawsuit, which includes attorney's fees and other costs. "The Court may also award punitive damages and grant such other preliminary and equitable relief as the Court determines to be appropriate," states the documents.
It's alleged that neither Elden nor his legal guardians signed a released authorizing the use of the images taken during the photo shoot that resulted in the Nevermind cover art. Cobain is also said to have agreed to partially cover up the nudity on the photograph with intentions to place a sticker over the genitals that read, "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile," but the sticker was never applied to the cover.
While Elden's lawyer has stated that he feels "profoundly humiliated and exposed" by the cover art, Elden has also granted public interviews about being the baby on the cover and even recreated the photo as a grown adult for a publication.
After news of the suit went public, the Hollywood Reporter published a piece breaking down key elements of the suit with legal experts and Elden's attorney weighing in on the arguments.