LOS ANGELES – The 30-year-old man pictured as a naked baby on the cover of the multimillion-selling Nirvana album “Nevermind” filed suit Tuesday in Los Angeles, alleging the former members of the grunge-rock trio, various record companies, art directors and others violated federal criminal child pornography laws and caused him lifelong suffering by “trafficking” his image worldwide.
Spencer Elden, of Los Angeles, alleges that his identity and legal name are forever tied to the commercial exploitation he experienced as a minor.
Elden’s parents never signed a release authorizing the use of the photos taken of the four-month-old baby in a Pasadena aquatic center in 1990 and Elden received no compensation.
The suit seeks either $150,000 from each of the 17 defendants or unspecified damages to be determined at trial.