Even if you have never listened to Nirvana, you are familiar with the infamous picture of the naked baby in the swimming pool. The album is widely considered to be one of the most famous album covers of all time, but how does the person on this album cover feel?
Spencer Elden was just four months old when the infamous picture of him was taken. Nirvana paid his parents $200 for use of the photos. Spencer Elden himself did not get any compensation. He also claims his parents never signed a release for the image to be used as the infamous album cover.
Elden has sued the remaining members of Nirvana and the estate of Kurt Cobain three times, most recently for $150,000 from 15 different people, adding up to $2,250,000 in total he would have gotten if he won. All three attempts at financial compensation have failed. Most recently the case was dismissed, the judge sighting that the statue of limitations for child pornography has ended in this particular case.
The one question I and many others have is….is he genuinely having a mental health crisis from this as he says, or is this for money?
Now I do not want to accuse this man of faking mental health problems. It is understandable for him to feel as though if he wasn’t the Nirvana baby, he would be nothing and it makes sense how that could lead to a mental health crisis. The thing that has many people scratching their heads though is that up until recently, he seemed to embrace the title of Nirvana baby.
Throughout the years, Spencer Elden was pleased to sign copies of the famous album cover, and also recreated the album cover for his art shows numerous times. Why is it only now he is talking about the negative connotation of being the Nirvana baby? Is it only just now starting? Is he truly getting stopped and harassed because of his status as much as he says? We may sadly never know.
Intensely Cursed Thoughts 