Two leaders of a women’s wellness company focused on sexual wellness and promoting “orgasmic meditation” have been found guilty of federal forced labor charges. Nicole Daedone, founder of OneTaste Inc., and Rachel Cherwitz, the company’s former sales director, were convicted by a Brooklyn jury after a five-week trial. They each face up to 20 years in prison.
Prosecutors argued that Daedone and Cherwitz ran a scheme that manipulated victims, many of whom were survivors of sexual trauma, into performing sexual acts they found uncomfortable. The victims were coerced through economic, sexual, and psychological abuse to engage in acts such as having sex with investors or clients.
OneTaste leaders also allegedly failed to pay promised earnings to members-turned-workers and compelled some to take out new credit cards to continue taking company courses. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nina Gupta described the defendants as “grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims.”
Daedone’s defense portrayed her as a feminist entrepreneur, while Cherwitz’s lawyer argued that witnesses were not forced to do anything and could leave if they wished. The defendants maintain their innocence and plan to appeal.
OneTaste, founded in 2004, promoted female orgasms as essential to wellness and connection. The company’s controversial practices, including “orgasmic meditation,” garnered media attention in the 2010s. Daedone sold her stake in 2017, a year before scrutiny of the company’s practices began.
The current owners, now operating as the Institute of OM Foundation, have defended the organization’s work, stating that sexual consent has always been a core principle. They have refuted the charges against the former executives.
