OneTaste (Nicole Daedone)
Sexuality-and-personal-growth company founded by Nicole Daedone (San Francisco, 2004) built around 'Orgasmic Meditation' (OM) — a 15-minute clitoral-stroking practice taught in $7k–$60k course packages. Federal forced-labor and prostitution charges 2023+; June 2024 conviction of Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz on conspiracy to commit forced labor.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
+1 for ongoing federal forced-labor and prostitution prosecution (2023+).
Profile facts
In context
OneTaste began in San Francisco's Folsom Street neighbourhood in 2004 and grew through the 2010s into a global company offering 'Orgasmic Meditation' courses, a coaching ladder, and a residential community whose senior tier lived together at company houses. The 2018 Bloomberg investigation 'The Dark Side of OneTaste' triggered the FBI inquiry; in June 2023 Nicole Daedone (founder) and Rachel Cherwitz (sales director) were federally indicted for conspiracy to commit forced labor (18 USC § 1589). The June 2024 Brooklyn jury convicted both on the principal count, in a precedent-setting application of the same federal forced-labor doctrine that had grounded the NXIVM prosecution. Trial evidence established a structured pattern in which staff were assigned sex acts with clients as part of their 'practice', credit-card debt was extracted to fund higher-tier courses, and exit was framed as a moral failure. Daedone faces up to 20 years; sentencing scheduled for late 2024. The company rebranded to 'Institute of OM Foundation' in 2017; both legal entities are now in liquidation. The Netflix documentary 'Orgasm Inc.: The Story of OneTaste' (Sept 2022) and the Bloomberg investigation are the canonical journalistic record; the indictment + trial transcripts are the primary legal record.
Recovery resources
- A Little Bit Culty (podcast and community) — Ex-coaching-cult survivor community; covers federal coercive-control prosecutions including OneTaste.
- Polaris Project — US anti-trafficking organisation; relevant given the federal forced-labor conviction (June 2024) of Daedone and Cherwitz.
- Reclamation Collective — Trauma-informed and coercive-control-aware therapist network; particularly relevant for the sexual-coercion and credit-card-debt-extraction dimensions of the OneTaste pattern.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; family-side guidance and BITE-model resources.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Notable public ex-members
- Ayries Blanck (key trial witness)
- Multiple 2018–2024 ex-staff complainants
Legal cases & controversies
- United States v. Daedone & Cherwitz (2023–2024)
Evidence by BITE axis
- June 2024 federal forced-labor conviction (Daedone + Cherwitz)
- Staff assigned sex acts with clients as 'practice'
- +1 for ongoing federal forced-labor and prostitution prosecution (2023+)
- $7k–$60k course pricing with credit-card debt extraction
- Exit framed as moral failure / 'leakage' from the community
- 2018 Bloomberg investigation triggered FBI inquiry
Timeline
- 2004OneTaste founded in San Francisco by Daedone
- 2017Rebrands as Institute of OM Foundation
- 2018Bloomberg investigation triggers FBI inquiry
- 2022Netflix documentary released
- 2023-06Federal forced-labor indictment
- 2024-06Daedone and Cherwitz convicted in Brooklyn
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
Sources
- United States v. Daedone & Cherwitz (E.D.N.Y., 2023–2024) search ↗
- Ellen Huet et al., 'The Dark Side of OneTaste' (Bloomberg, June 2018) search ↗
- Netflix, 'Orgasm Inc.: The Story of OneTaste' (Sept 2022) search ↗
- DOJ June 2023 indictment press release search ↗
- BBC News Brooklyn trial coverage (May–June 2024) search ↗
- Office of the Pardon Attorney — https://www.justice.gov/pardon/search-clemency-case-status open ↗
- Eastern District of New York | Founder of Sexual Wellness Company "OneTaste" and Former Head of Sales Convicted of Forced Labor Conspiracy — https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/founder-sexual-wellness-company-onetaste-and-former-head-sales-convicted-forced-labor open ↗
- Eastern District of New York | OneTaste Founder and Former Head of Sales Indicted for Forced Labor Conspiracy — https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/onetaste-founder-and-former-head-sales-indicted-forced-labor-conspiracy open ↗
- Inmate Locator — https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/ open ↗
- Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) - Electronic Messaging — https://www.bop.gov/policy/progstat/5265_013.pdf open ↗
- Founder of 'orgasmic meditation' company gets nine years in prison in forced labor conspiracy — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/31/orgasmic-meditation-founder-prison open ↗
- Leaders of 'orgasmic meditation' women's wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial — https://apnews.com/article/onetaste-sexual-wellness-executives-charged-forced-labor-711e616bd53d85db2001fea17ec43e17 open ↗
- The Pleasure Principle — https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/fashion/15commune.html?_r=0 open ↗
- Inside the multi-million dollar orgasm cult endorsed by Hollywood — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/inside-multi-million-dollarorgasm-cult-endorsed-hollywood/ open ↗
- Nicole Daedone's mission of orgasmic meditation — http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Nicole-Daedone-s-mission-of-orgasmic-meditation-2368554.php open ↗
- Unconditional Freedom - Nonprofit Explorer — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/912158747 open ↗
- Unconditional Freedom Form 990 for period ending December 2013 — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/912158747/2016_09_EO%2F91-2158747_990_201312 open ↗
- Unconditional Freedom Form 990 for period ending December — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/912158747/download990pdf_03_2022_prefixes_86-95%2F912158747_201912_990_2022032119802022 open ↗
- Unconditional Freedom, Full Filing 2022 — https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/912158747/202301939349300620/full open ↗
- It went from utopia to a hell hole': The bizarre story behind Netflix's Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste — https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/onetaste-orgasm-meditation-netflix-b2217714.html open ↗
- US founder of 'orgasmic meditation' startup indicted on forced labor charges — https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/06/onetaste-nicole-daedone-sex-abuse-cult-charged open ↗
- Founder, ex-executive of edgy sexual wellness company OneTaste charged with forced labor conspiracy — https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/founder-executive-edgy-sexual-wellness-company-onetaste-charged-99882895 open ↗
- The Perks of Being Harvey Weinstein's Publicist — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/style/harvey-weinstein-pr-juda-engelmayer.html open ↗
- How an Orgasmic Meditation Group Sparked a Troubled Federal Case — https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/onetaste-orgasmic-meditation-federal-case open ↗
- DOJ Won't Use Journal Evidence in 'Orgasm Cult' Case — https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/orgasm-cult-onetaste-lawsuit-trafficking-allegations-1235298246/ open ↗
- Leaders of 'Orgasmic Meditation' Group Are Convicted of Coercion Charges — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/nyregion/onetaste-orgasmic-meditation-verdict.html open ↗
- Leaders of 'orgasmic meditation' company were convicted of forced labor: What to know — https://www.npr.org/2025/06/11/nx-s1-5429181/orgasmic-meditation-sexual-womens-wellness-forced-labor-conviction open ↗
- In 'Orgasmic Meditation' Case, Did a Zealous Media Strategy Backfire? — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/06/nyregion/onetaste-orgasmic-meditation-publicity.html open ↗
- She Made Orgasmic Meditation Her Life. Not Even Prison Will Stop Her — https://www.wsj.com/style/nicole-daedone-one-taste-founder-prison-e1dc5eff open ↗
- The Founder of a Sexual Liberation Group Is in Jail, but Still Has Fans — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/nyregion/nicole-daedone-one-taste-sentencing.html open ↗
- Alan Dershowitz plans to seek Trump pardon for 'orgasmic meditation' leaders awaiting federal sentencing — https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alan-dershowitz-plans-seek-trump-pardon-orgasmic-meditation-leaders-aw-rcna264104 open ↗
- The White House Considers Granting 250 Pardons for the Nation's Birthday — https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/06/trump-250-pardons-250th-birthday/687736/ open ↗
- OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone says she plans to testify at her trial — https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/onetaste-founder-nicole-daedone-says-plans-testify-trial-rcna179947 open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-22Phase 1 Batch B: per-group recovery resources curated. 5 verified entries — A Little Bit Culty, Polaris Project, Reclamation Collective, ICSA, Freedom of Mind.
- 2026-05-20Source-density flags derived from existing free-text sources[]: court records, investigative journalism, official statements. Heuristic auto-flag; subsequent editorial pass will populate structuredSources[] with reliability tiers.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
Relevant hubs
Curated entry points on CLCI Hub for situations connected to this group.
- Start herePick the reading path that matches your situation.
- PatternsDocumented control patterns with linked profiles.
- Financial controlCommon pattern in wellness, MLM, and coaching contexts.
- Online groupsMany wellness and coaching groups operate online-first.
- FamiliesHow families and close friends can engage with high-control members.
- RecoveryIf you have left or are preparing to leave.
You may also want to explore
Frequently asked questions
Q.Is OneTaste a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). OneTaste scores 29 out of 40 — "High Control", at high confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is OneTaste's CLCI score?
OneTaste scores 29 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "High" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 7, Information 7, Thought 7, Emotional 7 — plus a signed modifier of +1 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does OneTaste score 29 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: June 2024 federal forced-labor conviction (Daedone + Cherwitz); $7k–$60k course pricing with credit-card debt extraction; Staff assigned sex acts with clients as 'practice'; Exit framed as moral failure / 'leakage' from the community. These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +1 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the OneTaste rating?
This profile is rated High confidence. High confidence means the score is backed by court records, academic work, and/or sustained investigative journalism. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding OneTaste?
If you or someone you care about is affected by OneTaste, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.