Nirvana cover baby sues band for child porn

masraum · 08-25-2021, 11:21 AM

WTF? I'm guessing this guy is looking for a quick and easy payday.

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

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 friend of 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.

"Spencer's true identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial sexual exploitation he experienced as a minor," Robert Lewis, Elden's attorney, writes in the lawsuit.

Lewis writes that Elden has experienced emotional distress and interference with emotional and educational development.

In a 2008 interview with NPR, Elden, then in high school, was still struggling to make sense of his public image.

"Quite a few people in the world have seen my penis," he said, "So that's kinda cool. I'm just a normal kid living it up and doing the best I can while I'm here."

wilnj · 08-25-2021, 11:25 AM

Saw that today too, probably should have raised those concerns when he re-enacted the shoot for the 20th anniversary of the record.

brainz01 · brainz01's Garage

Hopefully he's never been identified by his penis.

masraum · 08-25-2021, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wilnj

Saw that today too, probably should have raised those concerns when he re-enacted the shoot for the 20th anniversary of the record.

hahaha, I wasn't aware.

I guess the photo was foreshadowing, with the baby trying to get the money on the hook.

Steve Carlton · 08-25-2021, 11:32 AM

Yes- a self-fulfilling prophecy. Any pics from the 20th anniversary shoot?

Bob Kontak · Bob Kontak's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by masraum

WTF? I'm guessing this guy is looking for a quick and easy payday.

They will probably toss some coin his way and he deserves it.

However, it should be netted against the present value of all the stainky on his hang-down he got in the last 15 years for being the cover photo mule.

Not a bad looking guy and I hope he leveraged the horror he experienced effectively.

masraum · 08-25-2021, 11:39 AM

Right, I'm guessing some of the folks will toss some bucks his way to make this go away.

I'm guessing that's why a lawyer would even take this suit. I can't imagine a lawyer thinking that he could win, but if he was expecting a payday due to the defendants trying to keep it out of court...

javadog · 08-25-2021, 11:43 AM

I hope they counter sue him for filing a frivolous lawsuit.

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

Who's next, the topless gal on the 'Blind Faith" album cover?

matthewb0051 · matthewb0051's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by javadog

I hope they counter sue him for filing a frivolous lawsuit.

Concur. There is ample case law regarding child porn that requires more than a provocative pose to constitute an offense or simply being naked. This isn't even a provocative pose so he's grasping at straws, or dollar bills...

cabmandone · cabmandone's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by brainz01

Hopefully he's never been identified by his penis.

That's probably why he's suing. "Hey look! It's still the same size"

livi · 08-25-2021, 12:29 PM

What a wanker.

javadog · 08-25-2021, 12:32 PM

An article about the idiot:

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

David · David's Garage

They should have had him sign a waiver at the time of the photo shoot.

I watched the Curt Cobain documentary last week. There was a lot of new stuff about Nirvana I didn't know so worth the watch. Sounds like Cobain had a rough childhood partially of his own making but going from an unknown to the largest band in the world didn't help. There was a comment from his mom in the documentary where she said something like "you better get ready" after he played her Nevermind after they recorded it.