Spencer Elden, the baby on the iconic album cover of Nevermind by Nirvana, filed a lawsuit against 90’s grunge icons Nirvana last month. The lawsuit is against the band’s former bandmates David Grohl, Krist Novoselic, as well the estate of the late frontman Kurt Cobaine and his widow Courtney Love. The album, and its instantly recognizable cover, came out September 24th, 1991. Spencer was only 4 months old at the time as a family member was the one responsible for taking the picture. 

Spencer has filed various lawsuit reasons which consist of the following complaints: he says he has suffered “permanent harm,” as well as emotional distress and “lifelong loss of income-earning” capacity as a result of the album cover’s status in popular culture. Maggie Mabie, one of his various lawyers, said “He Hasn’t met anyone who hasn’t seen his genitalia and it’s a constant reminder that he has no privacy. His privacy is worthless to the world.” 

An avid listener of Nirvana, junior Collin Johnson believes these complaints are invalid. “He has recreated the image before,” he said, referring to Spencer’s numerous adulthood recreations of the image, seemingly made in good humor. “The lawsuit is incorrect.”

While such photos might suggest a willingness to embrace his presence in rock history, Spencer says he now understands that his image was “exploited in (Nirvana’s) favor.”