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Female Leaders of ‘Orgasmic Meditation’ Company Found Guilty of Coercing Staff Into Performing Sexual Acts 

Founder Of Sexual Wellness Startup OneTaste
Nicole Daedone, founder of sexual wellness startup OneTaste. Image: Getty

The two leaders of a controversial “Orgasmic Meditation” company that was publicised as a groundbreaking service for female sexual empowerment, have been convicted in a federal US court for forcing employees to engage in sexual acts.

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OneTaste founder,  Nicole Daedone, 57, and its former head of sales, Rachel Cherwitz, 44, were convicted of conspiracy to commit forced labour. The charges allege the two women subjected employees and some participants to coercive tactics that included emotional, psychological, and financial abuse designed to control and exploit them.

Prosecutors argued that under the guise of sexual empowerment, Daedone and Cherwitz coerced workers into gruelling hours of unpaid or severely underpaid labour, including sexual services performed for the company’s investors and clients.

One witness recounted how she was forced to become a “handler” for OneTaste’s primary investor –  a role requiring her to live with him, cook for him, and perform demeaning sexual acts under his control.

In one course for healing sexual trauma sexual healing, prosecutors said Cherwitz enlisted one employee, a rape victim, to “re-enact” her rape before a group of attendees. It involved the employee performing oral sex on a partner while being told “I love you,” – just as her real rapist had.

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Other survivors shared stories of being threatened with professional or social consequences if they refused to comply with their demands.

The Rise And Fall of OneTaste’s Sexual Wellness Empire

The jury’s verdict brought an end to the company’s ground-breaking ride where it was heralded as a new breakthrough movement for female sexual empowerment. Nicole Daedone founded OneTaste in 2004, a company that promoted “orgasmic meditation” – a practice involving 15 minutes of genital stimulation aimed at female sexual empowerment and healing trauma. With headquarters in San Francisco, the business expanded rapidly, opening locations in New York, Los Angeles, London and Australia, offering workshops, coaching sessions, and retreats often costing thousands of dollars.

OneTaste was marketed as a revolutionary approach to female sexuality, claiming to unlock emotional wellness and spiritual growth. By 2017, Daedone sold the company for $12 million, seemingly marking a successful exit. But behind the scenes, the business harboured a dark undercurrent of abuse, manipulation, and exploitation that has only now been exposed in court.

What Is Orgasmic Meditation – And How Was It Used?

Orgasmic meditation (OM), OneTaste’s flagship practice, involved a person stimulating a woman’s clitoris for 15 minutes while the woman remained nude from the waist down. Marketed as a path to healing sexual trauma and improving relationships, OM classes attracted many women seeking wellness and empowerment.

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However, the prosecution presented evidence that this practice was weaponised within OneTaste’s ecosystem. Employees were reportedly expected to perform OM on each other regularly as part of their “work,” often with inadequate compensation.

More alarmingly, some were coerced into performing OM or other sexual acts on wealthy investors and clients, with the implication that their sexual labour was tied directly to the company’s financial success.

Nine former OneTaste employees testified over the four-week trial in Boston with many claiming Daedone and Cherwitz groomed them into performing numerous sexual acts. Many entered OneTaste searching for healing from past trauma but found themselves subject to constant surveillance, sleep deprivation, and emotional manipulation that eroded their autonomy.

Many victims testified to being pressured into opening lines of credit to pay for OneTaste’s expensive courses and living under constant surveillance in communal homes.

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The government’s case portrayed the defendants as predators who exploited vulnerable individuals, leveraging promises of empowerment and wellness to extract unpaid labour and sexual services.

The jury agreed.

“The jury’s verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims,” said Brooklyn US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr.  “By making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants’ benefit.” 

Leaders of 'Orgasmic Meditation' company
Image: Getty
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The Defence’s Position And Planned Appeal

Attorneys for Daedone and Cherwitz vowed to fight the verdict.

Throughout the trial Daedone’s legal team strongly denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges. They argued that all employees voluntarily participated in the company’s practices and that no one was physically forced to stay or engage in any acts against their will. During the trial, Daedone’s attorney stated that former workers had “full and complete autonomy over their brains and their bodies” and accused prosecution witnesses of retroactively blaming Daedone and Cherwitz for their own decisions.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty and remain free on bail while awaiting sentencing, scheduled for September.  The pair face up to 20 years imprisonment. Their lawyers have announced plans to appeal the verdict.

Netflix documented the company’s controversial practices in a series called Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste

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