What Happened to OneTaste?

Founded in San Francisco in 2004 by Nicole Daedone and Robert Kandell, OneTaste gained significant attention for its practice of 'orgasmic meditation' (OM), a 15-minute partnered clitoral stroking technique. The company expanded rapidly, opening locations in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London, and attracted celebrity interest, with Daedone even giving a TED Talk. OneTaste offered expensive courses and memberships, with some annual subscriptions costing up to $60,000.

However, by 2018, an exposé by Bloomberg News brought to light accusations from former members who described OneTaste as a 'sex cult' that coerced individuals into sexual servitude and significant debt. These allegations prompted an FBI investigation into the company for sex trafficking, prostitution, and labor law violations. Critics alleged that Daedone and her associates targeted vulnerable individuals, often those with past trauma, and used psychological, emotional, and financial manipulation to control them, forcing them into unpaid labor and sexual acts with investors and clients.

In June 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, OneTaste's former head of sales, on charges of forced labor conspiracy. The trial commenced in May 2025, and after five weeks of testimony, a Brooklyn jury found both Daedone and Cherwitz guilty of forced labor conspiracy on June 9, 2025. Prosecutors argued that the defendants '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.'

On March 30, 2026, U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati sentenced Nicole Daedone to nine years in federal prison, and Rachel Cherwitz to six and a half years (78 months). Judge Gujarati also ordered Daedone to forfeit $12 million, representing the amount she received from selling her stake in OneTaste in 2017, and awarded approximately $887,877.64 in restitution to seven victims. At the sentencing, the judge noted Daedone's apparent lack of remorse, stating, 'What she was doing wasn't about enlightenment or operating in a different dimension. It was criminal.' Both Daedone and Cherwitz have appealed their convictions to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

As of August 2026, Nicole Daedone is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, awaiting permanent assignment, and has reportedly been teaching meditation to other inmates. The company itself, which rebranded as The Institute of OM, has continued to hold events and operate online, though its public profile and reach have significantly diminished. The legal battles and public scrutiny have left a lasting impact on the organization and its former leaders.