Whatever Happened to Spencer Elden, The Nirvana 'Nevermind' Baby?

Summary

• The model for the iconic cover has filed a lawsuit against Nirvana, but fans are not supporting him.
• A 32-year-old artist is trying to collect millions from Nirvana’s personnel, accusing them of ruining his life.

Nirvana's Nevermind album cover is undoubtedly one of the most iconic images in pop culture, with millions of T-shirts and posters sold to date. While the image of a naked child desperately swimming toward the dollar bill may seem a bit problematic, the photo's iconic status prevents it from being taken down.

However, Spencer Elden, the child in the photo, has a huge problem with it, as he recently gained notoriety for filing a lawsuit against all surviving members of Nirvana, including Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Courtney Love, demanding $150,000 from each of them for allegedly ruining his life and using the image without his consent.

Elden's life, explained

Although Elden is actively trying to push the idea that the Nirvana cover ruined his life, he has actually cashed in on the cover several times, recreating it twice and trying to build a following on it. And it's not hard to see why – his parents only got $200 for the photo, and he is simply trying to make a living off his unwanted popularity.

However, Elden is not only using his Nirvana connection to support himself, as he is currently enjoying a career as an artist and has a working relationship with none other than Shepard Fairey, the creator of the iconic OBEY clothing brand. While not as famous as his mentor, Elden still has a moderate following thanks to his art.

Other than that, a 32-year-old man does nothing, which led millions of Nirvana fans to accuse him of trying to cash in on Kurt Cobain's legacy, as his decision to file a lawsuit seemed like a total betrayal of the late rock star.

If Elden had always objected to his image being used on the album cover, fans might have supported his lawsuit, but the fact that he gave dozens of interviews and recreated the photo shoot a few times made fans sure that he just wanted money, not justice.

The lawsuit is still in progress, and it looks like we'll have to wait a few years to find out if Elden will become a millionaire or continue to profit from his association with Nirvana.