‘Orgasmic Meditation’ Company Leaders Convicted in Forced Labor Trial

The founders of OneTaste Inc., a US-based women’s wellness company promoting “orgasmic meditation,” have been found guilty of federal forced labor charges by a Brooklyn jury.

After a five-week trial, the jury deliberated for less than two days before convicting Nicole Daedone, the company’s founder, and Rachel Cherwitz, its former sales director, on Monday. Both women now face up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing details to follow.

Prosecutors argued that Daedone, 57, and Cherwitz, 44, orchestrated a years-long scheme. They allegedly groomed followers, many of whom were sexual trauma victims, to comply with their demands. The prosecution contended that the duo employed economic, sexual, and psychological abuse, along with intimidation and indoctrination, to coerce OneTaste members. This coercion allegedly forced members into uncomfortable or repulsive sexual acts, including sex with potential investors or clients.

According to prosecutors, Daedone and Cherwitz told followers these questionable acts were essential for achieving “freedom” and “enlightenment.” They also claimed these acts demonstrated a member’s commitment to the organization’s principles. Additionally, OneTaste leaders reportedly withheld promised earnings from members who had become workers. Some were even compelled to open new credit cards to afford the company’s courses.

Assistant US Attorney Nina Gupta, in her closing statement, asserted that the defendants “built a business on the backs” of victims. These victims, Gupta noted, “gave everything” to Daedone and Cherwitz, including “their money, their time, their bodies, their dignity, and ultimately their sanity.” Joseph Nocella, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated, “The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims.” He added they made “empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit.”

Daedone’s defense team portrayed her as a “ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur.” They argued she created a unique business centered on women’s sexuality and empowerment. Cherwitz’s lawyer, Celia Cohen, contended that witnesses testifying were never forced into anything. She argued that individuals simply left when they were no longer satisfied with the organization or wished to explore other paths. Cohen stated in her closing remarks, “No matter what you think about OneTaste and what they were doing, they chose it. They knew what it was about.” She concluded, “The fact they are regretting the actions that they took when they were younger is not evidence of a crime.”

Lawyers for both defendants maintain their clients’ innocence and plan to appeal the verdict. In a statement Monday, they expressed deep disappointment, noting, “This case raised numerous novel and complex legal issues that will require review by the Second Circuit.”

What was OneTaste?

Nicole Daedone co-founded OneTaste in San Francisco in 2004. It began as a self-help commune focusing on female orgasms as key to sexual and psychological wellness and interpersonal connection. A core practice was “orgasmic meditation,” or “OM,” involving men manually stimulating women in group settings. The company gained positive media coverage in the 2010s, rapidly expanding to cities like Los Angeles and London. Marketed as an innovative enterprise prioritizing women’s sexual pleasure, it generated revenue by offering courses, coaching, OM events, and other sexual services for a fee. Daedone sold her stake for $12 million in 2017, a year before OneTaste’s practices faced scrutiny. The current owners, now operating as the Institute of OM Foundation, assert their work was misconstrued and the charges against former executives are unjustified. They maintain sexual consent has always been fundamental to the organization.