'Orgasmic Meditation' Founder Sentenced to 9 Years for Forced Labor and Sexual Exploitation Scheme

Nicole Daedone, the co-founder of OneTaste, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison after a jury found her guilty of running a forced labour conspiracy that preyed on vulnerable women.

The 58-year-old, who built a brand around 'orgasmic meditation', was also ordered to forfeit $12 million. Seven victims will receive roughly $890,000 in restitution.

According to reports, women were not simply encouraged but pressured into performing sexual acts for clients and investors, often under the guise of personal growth.

The case cuts through the glossy language that once surrounded OneTaste. Prosecutors argued that behind the rhetoric of healing and liberation lay a system of coercion.

US Attorney Joseph Nocella told the court, 'Coercion disguised as wellness or empowerment is still exploitation and it is a crime that causes harm to vulnerable victims,' he said, according to the Justice Department press release.

'The defendants' combination of forced labour with sexual exploitation caused trauma to the victims in ways that extend beyond lost wages or long hours,' he added.

A Movement Built On Belief

For years, OneTaste occupied an unusual cultural space. Founded in San Francisco in 2004, it blended elements of self-help, spirituality, and sexual exploration. Its trademark practice, known as 'OM', involved men manually stimulating women in a structured, often group setting. The company expanded quickly, establishing a presence from Los Angeles to London, buoyed by media fascination and a wider cultural shift towards open conversations about sexuality.

That early coverage matters now because it reveals what many followers believed they were joining. Several victims described entering the organisation with genuine faith in its feminist messaging. One woman told the court she had embraced Daedone's 'so-called feminist mission', only to emerge financially damaged and emotionally scarred.

'In reality, I fell into Nicole's trap,' she said. 'I was the perfect target.'

That sense of betrayal sits at the heart of the case. Prosecutors painted a picture of adherents, many with histories of sexual trauma, being gradually drawn into a system that blurred the line between consent and obligation.

Inside The Prosecution's Case

During a month-long trial, the government laid out a pattern that went well beyond unconventional wellness practices. Daedone and her co-defendant, Rachel Cherwitz, were accused of using economic pressure, psychological manipulation, and sexual coercion to maintain control over members.

Cherwitz, the company's former sales director, received a sentence of six and a half years for her role.

Members were allegedly pushed into sexual encounters they found uncomfortable or even repulsive, including with prospective investors. These acts were framed as necessary steps towards 'freedom' and 'enlightenment', a language that, in hindsight, reads less like philosophy and more like leverage.

Judge Diane Gujarati appeared unconvinced by any attempt to dress the conduct in spiritual terms. She noted that Daedone showed little remorse, even as supporters packed the courtroom.

'What she was doing wasn't about enlightenment,' Gujarati said. 'It was criminal.'

Prosecutors had sought a far harsher sentence of 20 years, arguing that the damage extended across 'scores of victims' who were left financially and psychologically depleted. The nine-year term, while significant, stops short of that maximum demand, a reminder of how sentencing often sits uneasily between outrage and legal constraint.

Support, Denial, And The Fight Ahead

Daedone's defence team struck out and described a lengthy prison term as 'bonkers', urging the court to consider her lack of prior convictions. More than 200 letters were submitted on her behalf, portraying her as a figure of generosity and influence.

Among those offering support were high-profile names. CNN commentator Van Jones called her 'a woman of uncommon wisdom, grace and moral courage', while actor Richard Schiff argued she had spent her life bringing 'compassion, awareness, and honesty' to a misunderstood area of human experience.

It is a striking divide. On one side, victims describe coercion and harm. On the other hand, supporters insist on her integrity. The court, ultimately, sided decisively with the former.

Daedone declined to speak at sentencing, but her lawyers signalled that the case is far from over. An appeal is already in motion, and prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz has indicated he will seek a presidential pardon for both Daedone and Cherwitz.

Meanwhile, the former executive has reportedly been teaching meditation classes to fellow inmates at the Brooklyn detention facility where she has been held since her conviction last June.

OneTaste's current owners insist the company's work has been misunderstood and that the charges against its former leaders are unjustified. Yet the conviction tells a different story, one that suggests the language of empowerment can be repurposed to obscure harm rather than prevent it.