DON’T CALL IT A CULT

Leaders of ‘Orgasmic Meditation’ Wellness Company Convicted on Forced Labor Charges

Two former executives from women’s wellness company OneTaste Inc. were found guilty of coercing clients to perform unpaid labor.

OneTaste Inc., a wellness company best known for promoting “orgasmic meditation” as the key to women’s wellness, faced a major blow on Monday when its founder and former CEO, Nicole Daedone, and former sales director, Rachel Cherwitz, were convicted of federal forced labor charges. Daedone founded the sex-focused company in 2004, and its popularity boomed in the 2010s thanks to her unconventional signature practice (which involves men performing sex acts on women clients in a group meditation setting). Behind the scenes, prosecutors say Daedone, 59, and Cherwitz, 44, began using economic, sexual, and emotional manipulation tactics to coerce members of their organization into performing unpaid, demeaning, and often traumatic tasks. Several former clients-turned-employees testified that these tasks even included sex with prospective clients and investors, one of whom was Daedone’s boyfriend. Cherwitz and Daedone reportedly told these employees—many of whom were survivors of sexual trauma—that sex with clients was a step toward “enlightenment” and “freedom.” Now, the pair each faces up to 20 years in prison for their convictions. Though Daedone sold the company in 2017, its new owners (who rebranded as “The OM Foundation”) stand behind her business practices and maintain that the charges against her are unjust.