The cover for Nevermind, the 1991 Nirvana album that is said to have helped redefine rock music, features a naked 4-month-old baby in a pool, following a dollar bill What appears to be floating is pierced by a fish hook.
That kid — now 30-year-old Spencer Alden — is suing Nirvana for child abuse and pornography, saying the band intentionally distributed and profited from a nude photo of Alden as a child.
He is seeking $150,000 in damages against each of the defendants, which includes the assets of band member, Kurt Cobain, photographer Kirk Wedel, Universal Music, Geffen Records, Warner Records and MCA Music.
The cover photo was shot by Wedel, a friend of Alden's father. The lawsuit accuses Wedd of creating a "sexually graphic" picture of Alden. It states that there was an initial pushback against showing Alden's genitals on the album cover and there were plans to put stickers on it.
"The sticker, however, was never included on the album cover," the lawsuit states.
Alden's parents also never signed a communiqué authorizing the use of the image, and no one in the family received any compensation.
"Spencer's true identity and legal name are forever linked to the commercial sexual abuse he experienced as a minor," Alden's attorney, Robert Lewis, wrote in the lawsuit.