The child from the famous Nirvana disc cover sues the band

The child from the famous Nirvana disc cover sues the band

Spencer Alden, Appearing naked as a baby on the cover of one of rock's most iconic albums, Nevermind, is suing Nirvana alleging he was sexually exploited as a child.

In a lawsuit filed in California District Court against numerous parties, including the band's living members, Kurt Cobain's widow Courtney Love, and record companies that have released or distributed the album over the past three decades, Elden argues that the defendants should be considered producers of child pornography. This is the Nevermind cover photo of Elden, in which he swims naked towards a dollar bill.

The lawsuit accuses the parties of “commercial sexual exploitation of a child from when he was a minor to the present day «. According to the plaintiff, the defendants «knowingly produced, possessed and advertised commercial child pornography featuring Spencer.»

Elden, who was four months old when the photo was taken, claims he suffered «a lifetime of damage» from the 1991 cover, including «tremendous and ongoing emotional distress» and the loss of «the enjoyment of life.»

According to the lawsuit, the image is «sexual in nature» and makes Elden look like «a sex worker grabbing a dollar bill.» According to the plaintiff, Elden was also never paid to appear on the cover. The man was previously reported to have been paid $250.

Elden is seeking damages of at least $150,000 from each of the 15 defendants and is asking for a jury trial.

In 2016 the man recreated the famous photo for the New York Post to mark the 25th anniversary of the album, noting: «It's cool, but it's strange to be part of something so important that I don't even remember.»

In the same year, he said: “Recently, I thought: “What if I didn’t want everyone to see my penis?” I didn't have a choice then.»

In 2007, he told the Sunday Times that “it was creepy that so many people saw me naked. I feel like the biggest porn star in the world.”

Source