David Grohl has reacted to the controversy surrounding the cover of Nevermind. In a new interview, the onetime Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman said he has “many ideas of how we should alter that cover,” insinuating that there may be a solution for Spencer Elden, the baby who was famously photographed for the cover that includes taking his genitals off the cover of the album. Grohl also said that he has people who deal with the legal aspects of the suit, and that he doesn’t have much say in the matter: “I think that there’s much more to look forward to and much more to life than getting bogged down in those kinds of things. And, fortunately, I don’t have to do the paperwork.”
Elden is in the process of suing multiple defendants, including Grohl, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Universal Music Group and more, under allegations that 30 years later the naked underwater image of him as a 4-month-old baby is child pornography and that using it as the album cover is therefore child sexual exploitation. In addition to seeking monetary compensation, which is allegedly at $150,000 per defendant, Elden is requesting that the cover artwork be changed for all future releases of Nevermind, including the recently announced deluxe 30th anniversary reissue set for a November 12th release.
The lawsuit was filed in late August by Elden, and there has not been much news of the suit since. Grohl, meanwhile, is releasing his new book, The Storyteller, on Tuesday (October 5th), with pre-orders available via Amazon.
Photo Credit Boston Lynn Schulz
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