Nicole Daedone: Wellness Firm CEO Guilty Of Forcing Employees Into Sex Acts

Nicole Daedone, the founder and CEO of the controversial sexual wellness brand OneTaste, was convicted on Monday by a New York jury of conspiracy to commit forced labour. Alongside her, Rachel Cherwitz, the former head of sales and Daedone's close aide, was also found guilty.

Jurors sided with prosecutors who alleged that Daedone and Cherwitz manipulated vulnerable members and employees into unpaid labour and forced sexual acts under the guise of "healing" and "empowerment."

Brooklyn US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr called the duo "grifters who preyed on vulnerable victims, by making empty promises of sexual empowerment and wellness only to manipulate them into performing labour and services" for their benefit.

OneTaste, started in San Francisco in 2004, claimed to be a sexual wellness brand offering expensive retreats and courses. But prosecutors said it was actually run like a cult, where people were forced to work without pay and take part in sexual acts.

Who Is Nicole Daedone?

• Nicole Daedone was born in Los Gatos, California. She was raised by a single mother. She graduated in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in gender communications and semantics from San Francisco State University. After college, she opened an art gallery, worked as a waitress, and briefly as a stripper and escort, she told The Times.
• She studied yoga and Zen meditation. She lived for two years at 'The Welcomed Consensus', a group known for its focus on "gourmet sex."
• In 2004, Nicole Daedone co-founded OneTaste in San Francisco along with Robert Kandell. OneTaste offered expensive sexual wellness retreats and classes based on a practice called "Orgasmic Meditation", which the company trademarked.
• In 2012, she published her first book, Slow Sex, comparing mindful sexuality to the Slow Food movement. She later published The Eros Sutras, a multi-volume series that lays out her beliefs on sex, relationships, and justice.
• In 2002, Nicole Daedone co-founded Unconditional Freedom, a nonprofit that helps inmates through meditation and writing programmes.
• In 2015, OneTaste paid $325,000 to settle a labour dispute with a former employee, raising early red flags. In 2018, a Bloomberg expose revealed deeper allegations of abuse and misconduct. That same year, the FBI began investigating the company for sex trafficking, prostitution, and labour violations. By the end of 2018, OneTaste shut down all in-person classes and US offices.
• In June 2023, Nicole Daedone was indicted for forced labour conspiracy. Her trial began in May, and she was found guilty on June 10. She faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for September 26.
• Nicole Daedone was featured in the 2022 Netflix documentary Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste.