Nicole Daedone’s prison sentence for forced labor in orgasmic meditation company OneTaste
Consensus Summary
Nicole Daedone, founder of the controversial wellness company OneTaste, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison in March 2024 for a forced labor conspiracy involving coercive sex acts under the guise of orgasmic meditation (OM). Prosecutors alleged Daedone and her co-conspirator Rachel Cherwitz exploited vulnerable women, using psychological manipulation, financial pressure, and emotional degradation to force participants into sexual acts with clients and investors. The scheme targeted many who had experienced sexual trauma, promising enlightenment in exchange for compliance. Daedone sold OneTaste for $12 million in 2017, a year before the company’s practices came under scrutiny, and was ordered to forfeit the same amount. Seven victims received $890,000 in restitution. OM involved women lying unclothed in a ‘nest’ while men stroked their clitoris for 15 minutes in a ‘goalless’ session, marketed as a mindfulness practice with alleged benefits for stress and emotional regulation. Despite initial media praise and celebrity endorsements, including from Gwyneth Paltrow, the practice faced backlash after investigations revealed coercion and financial exploitation. Cherwitz was sentenced to six and a half years, while Daedone’s defense argued for leniency, citing her lack of prior criminal record and letters of support from figures like Van Jones. The case highlights the blurred line between sexual wellness and exploitation, with critics warning that monetizing vulnerable individuals’ sexuality can lead to harm. Daedone continues to appeal her conviction and has been teaching meditation to inmates since her imprisonment.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Nicole Daedone was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for forced labor conspiracy in March 2024
- Daedone was ordered to forfeit $12 million and seven victims received roughly $890,000 in restitution
- OneTaste’s orgasmic meditation (OM) practice involved women lying unclothed in a ‘nest’ while men stroked their clitoris for 15 minutes in a ‘goalless’ session
- Daedone sold OneTaste for $12 million in 2017, a year before controversies emerged
- Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste’s former sales director, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for her role in the scheme
- Prosecutors alleged Daedone and Cherwitz coerced victims into sex acts using psychological, emotional, and financial manipulation
- The trial lasted roughly one month and prosecutors sought a 20-year sentence for Daedone
- OneTaste operated in cities including San Francisco, Austin, and New York City, with a communal living model initially
- Gwyneth Paltrow promoted OneTaste on her podcast, and celebrities like David Schwimmer, Orlando Bloom, and Brian Cox reportedly attended events
- The Netflix documentary *Orgasm Inc* (2022) explored the controversies surrounding OneTaste and its practices
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Dr Anouchka Grose warned that ‘if someone is getting rich from this, there’s a distinct possibility that money is more important to the organizer than your wellbeing’
- The OM practice was described as having ‘mystical experiences’ and benefits for stress resilience, emotional regulation, and positive affect, though most research was conducted by the OM Foundation
- Daedone’s TEDx Talk (2011) detailed her first OM experience with a stranger who described her labia’s color and shape, leading to emotional and physical release
- The clitoral nerve mapping referenced in the article was only finalized ‘this week’ (implied as recent to the article’s publication)
- Former clients and teachers reported feeling pressured to participate in explicit ‘demonstrations’ and take on debt for courses costing up to $60,000
- Ellen Huet (Bloomberg reporter) noted that OM practitioners often meditated four times a day, twice in the morning and twice in the evening
- Grose cautioned that while orgasms have physiological benefits, ‘if it becomes a kind of medicalised diktat, then you have a problem’
- The article highlighted that OM is not the first practice combining spirituality and sexuality, comparing it to tantra and sexual mindfulness traditions
- Judge Diane Gujarati stated in court that Daedone ‘didn’t appear remorseful’ during the sentencing hearing
- More than 200 people submitted letters to the court attesting to Daedone’s character, generosity, and positive influence, including Van Jones and Richard Schiff
- Daedone’s lawyers argued for a two-year sentence, calling a lengthy imprisonment ‘bonkers’ and noting her lack of prior criminal record
- Prosecutors described Daedone’s scheme as leaving ‘scores of victims financially, emotionally, and psychologically scarred’
- A victim testified that she ‘fell into Nicole’s trap’ and suffered ‘significant financial damages and emotional harm’
- The current owners of OneTaste maintain the company’s work has been ‘misconstrued’ and the charges against former executives were unjustified
- Daedone has been teaching meditation to other inmates at the federal detention center in Brooklyn since her conviction in June 2023
- Prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz announced he would seek a presidential pardon for Daedone and Cherwitz from Donald Trump
- The defense portrayed Daedone as a ‘ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur’ who dedicated her life to ‘healing, empowerment, and human connection’
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 1 states Daedone was sentenced in March, while Article 2 states the sentencing occurred in federal court in Brooklyn on Monday (no specific month/year given in Article 1)
- Article 1 implies Daedone’s conviction was in 2023 (referencing Netflix doc in 2022 and ‘fast forward to this March’), but Article 2 states her conviction was in June 2023 and sentencing in 2024
- Article 1 does not mention Daedone’s lack of remorse or the 200+ letters of support, while Article 2 emphasizes both
- Article 1 does not reference the current owners of OneTaste disputing the charges, while Article 2 explicitly states they maintain the work was ‘misconstrued’
- Article 1 does not mention Daedone teaching meditation to inmates, while Article 2 states she has been doing so since her conviction
Source Articles
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The practice touted by Nicole Daedone combined spirituality, mindfulness and sexuality. Then came the controversy – and prison sentence In 2009, the New York Times ran a story about Nicole Daedone and...
Founder of ‘orgasmic meditation’ company gets nine years in prison in forced labor conspiracy
Nicole Daedone, co-founder of OneTaste Inc, also ordered to forfeit $12m, and seven victims were awarded restitution The leader of a sex-focused women’s wellness company that promoted “orgasmic medita...