'Nevermind' baby sues Nirvana again

The man depicted as a naked baby on Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind" has revived his lawsuit accusing the band of sexually exploiting him, after a US judge dismissed an earlier version of the case.

Spencer Elden, the plaintiff, maintained in an amended complaint filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles that the "lascivious nature of his image" amounted to "child pornography" that helped the band reap tens of millions of dollars at his expense.

Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and bassist Krist Novoselic; Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain; several record labels, and photographer Kirk Weddle are among the 10 defendants. Elden is seeking at least $150,000 from each.

Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond on Thursday to requests for comment.

The "Nevermind" cover art depicted Elden, then four months old, swimming naked toward a dollar bill pierced with a fish hook, an image Elden has said caused him "lifelong damages."

Elden filed his amended complaint nine days after US District Judge Fernando Olguin dismissed an earlier version because Elden had not responded to the defendants' dismissal motion.

The latest complaint includes a declaration from art director Robert Fisher, describing a stock photo he used for a mockup for the "Nevermind" cover that depicted a different baby and did not show his penis.

Elden said the band decided to create its own photo to save money, with Cobain sardonically suggesting that the cover include a warning sticker saying: "If you're offended by this, you must be a closet pedophile."

Fisher was dismissed as a defendant last month.

Elden's lawsuit no longer accuses Nirvana of violating a 2003 federal law against child sex trafficking, after the defendants said that law could not be applied retroactively.

"Nevermind" features Nirvana's signature song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," and its worldwide sales exceed 30 million. Grohl now leads the band Foo Fighters. Cobain died in 1994.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot

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Kurt Cobain’s ‘Unplugged’ guitar sells for record $6 million at auction

The guitar that grunge rock icon Kurt Cobain played during his legendary 1993 MTV Unplugged performance sold Saturday for a record $6 million (over P300 million), the auction house said.

The retro acoustic-electric 1959 Martin D-18E that Cobain strummed for Nirvana’s career-defining performance in New York, just five months before he took his own life at age 27, sold after a bidding war to Peter Freedman, founder of RODE Microphones, Julien’s Auctions said.



At $6.01 million after fees and commission, the instrument was the most expensive guitar ever sold at auction, among other records. The starting estimate was $1 million (over P50 million).

Freedman said he plans to display the guitar in a worldwide tour, with proceeds going to benefit performing arts.

“When I heard that this iconic guitar was up for auction, I immediately knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure it and use it as a vehicle to spotlight the struggles that those in the performing arts are facing and have always faced,” the Australian was quoted as saying by Julien’s Auctions.

The guitar was sold with its case, which Cobain had decorated with a flyer from punk rock band Poison Idea’s 1990 album “Feel the Darkness”.


Until now, the most expensive guitar in history was a Fender Stratocaster, dubbed “Black Strat”, used by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. It had been sold by the musician for nearly $4 million (over P200 million) during a charity sale in June 2019.

Nirvana’s acoustic performance during the taping for the popular MTV Unplugged series on November 18, 1993 became what is considered one of history’s greatest live albums.

It included renditions of Nirvana’s hits “About A Girl” and “Come As You Are”, along with covers which include David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World”.





 In October 2019, Cobain’s cigarette-singed cardigan worn during the “Unplugged” performance sold for $334,000 (about P16.7 million).

Agence France-Presse