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.

“Text Us When You Pee”: Micromanagement and Mental Manipulation

The trial peeled back layers of a corporate culture that prosecutors painted as both cult and startup. Led by Cherwitz, OneTaste’s sales team endured grueling, near-constant work schedules, micromanaged to an Orwellian degree.

One sales group chat, jurors heard, required members to report each bathroom break — a chilling detail used by prosecutors to underscore the company's obsession with control.

In this environment, OneTaste employees were allegedly pressured to open lines of credit and take on debt to afford the company’s costly courses, which could run into the thousands. Many were left financially broken while leaders profited.

The Defense: Consent, Not Coercion

Attorneys for Daedone and Cherwitz argued that their clients were pioneers in alternative wellness, not criminals. They claimed that the government had mischaracterized consensual adult behavior and that none of the witnesses reported their discomfort or alleged coercion to Daedone or Cherwitz during their tenure.

Defense teams tried to reframe OneTaste as an empowerment community, suggesting the plaintiffs were engaged willingly and only turned against the company after leaving.

But the jury didn’t buy it.

A Landmark Labor and Exploitation Case

The convictions mark a significant legal milestone in the evolving intersection of labor law, consent, and coercion, especially within fringe wellness movements. Prosecutors argued that invisible chains — psychological, financial, and emotional — can be as binding as physical ones.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kayla Bensing, Kaitlin Farrell, Nina Gupta, and Sean Fern leading the charge.

Daedone was represented by Jennifer Bonjean, Ashley Cohen, and Gabriella Orozco of Bonjean Law Group PLLC. Cherwitz was defended by Celia Cohen, Michael Robotti, Kelly Lin, Schuyler La Barge, and Kelly Lenahan-Pfahlert of Ballard Spahr LLP.