A federal jury on Monday delivered a searing verdict against OneTaste’s top brass, convicting the co-founder of the controversial “sexual wellness” company and one of its senior executives of forced labor conspiracy in a case that pulled back the curtain on what prosecutors described as a cult-like enterprise powered by psychological manipulation and coerced sex work.
In a courtroom drama that gripped observers with disturbing testimony and allegations of abuse masked as empowerment, jurors found Nicole Daedone, 57, the company’s co-founder, and Rachel Cherwitz, 44, former director of sales, guilty of conspiring to extract unpaid labor and sexual services from followers under the guise of self-help.
The Illusion of Healing: Behind OneTaste’s Facade
At the heart of the trial was OneTaste’s signature practice — “orgasmic meditation” (OM) — which prosecutors say was wielded not as a path to enlightenment, but as a weapon. The practice, involving clitoral stimulation between partners, was allegedly turned into a vehicle of exploitation.
Prosecutors argued Daedone and Cherwitz orchestrated a decade-long scheme to recruit mostly young women seeking personal growth and healing, only to subject them to a high-control environment where labor, sex, and loyalty were demanded — often at devastating personal cost.
Witnesses described being pushed into sex acts with clients, investors, and OneTaste insiders, often as a condition for career advancement or communal belonging. Some were instructed to engage in sexual activity with people they did not want, under veiled threats or intense psychological pressure. Several testified that they now suffer long-term emotional trauma and financial ruin.
