Founders of OneTaste ‘orgasm cult' guilty of grooming employees to have sex with clients
The glamorous leaders of the alleged 'orgasm cult' OneTaste were found guilty Monday of grooming their wellness company's members to have sex with clients and investors.
OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone, 57, and her former head of sales, Rachel Cherwitz, 44, face up to 20 years behind bars after jurors in Brooklyn federal court convicted them on a conspiracy to commit forced labor charge.
The company promoted so-called 'orgasmic meditation' involving group pleasuring sessions – and had been endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop website.
The glamorous leaders of the alleged 'orgasm cult' OneTaste were found guilty Monday of grooming their wellness company's members to have sex with clients and investors.
Gabriella Bass
OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone, 57 (right) and her former head of sales, Rachel Cherwitz, 44, face up to 20 years behind bars after jurors in Brooklyn federal court convicted them on a conspiracy to commit forced labor charge.
Gregory P. Mango
But the glitzy, libertine facade came crashing down after a series of exposés, including a Netflix documentary, revealing accusations that workers were encouraged to flirt and even have sex with potential clients.
The feds eventually accused Daedone and Cherwitz of running their business like a cult, recruiting people who suffered past trauma by claiming they could fix their sexual suffering.
'The jury's verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims, by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants'
benefit,' said Brooklyn US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr.
'I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants' direction,' he said in a statement announcing the verdict.
'It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.'
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‘Orgasmic Meditation' Leaders Convicted of Forced Labor Charges
Two leaders of a women's wellness start-up that promoted sexual empowerment through 'orgasmic meditation' were convicted Monday of using psychological abuse, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation to coerce employees into forced labor. Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, the former CEO and former head of sales at the once-buzzy San Francisco venture OneTaste, were found guilty by a jury after a five-week trial in federal court in Brooklyn. 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'The jury's verdict has unmasked Daedone and Cherwitz for who they truly are: grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labor and services for the defendants' benefit,' Joseph Nocella, Jr., the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement. 'I commend the witnesses who testified at trial notwithstanding the trauma that they experienced at the defendants' direction. It is my hope that the just conclusion of this process will bring them closure, and that future charlatans think twice about exploiting human beings in this manner.' Christopher G. Raia, assistant director of the FBI's New York field office, said in a statement that he hopes the verdict sends a 'clear message' that 'controlling your labor force by relying on lies, manipulation, and abuse is a crime.' 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The company generated revenue by providing courses, coaching, OM events, and less-publicized courses in other sexual practices in exchange for a fee, prosecutors said. Daedone became somewhat of a celebrity in the wellness field during her heyday. She delivered a TED Talk that went viral and attracted attention and promotion from celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow and Khloé Kardashian. But OneTaste later became the subject of several exposés and documentaries alleging the group exploited its employees and participants. According to a Bloomberg Businessweek investigation published in 2018, OneTaste morphed from a glamorous, Silicon Valley-backed start-up into a sinister enterprise described by some as a for-profit sex cult. 'In some members' experiences, the company used flirtation and sex to lure emotionally vulnerable targets. It taught employees to work for free or cheap to show devotion. 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