On Monday, March 30, 2026, Nicole Daedone, the founder and former CEO of OneTaste Inc., received a nine-year federal prison sentence in Brooklyn for her role in a forced labor conspiracy that prosecutors say exploited vulnerable women under the guise of sexual empowerment. The sentencing marks a dramatic fall for Daedone, once celebrated as a trailblazing entrepreneur and wellness guru, whose company promoted "orgasmic meditation" (OM) and challenged mainstream notions of female sexuality.
Judge Diane Gujarati, presiding over the packed Brooklyn federal courtroom, left little doubt about the gravity of Daedone’s actions. "Ms. Daedone took actions that stripped victims of their dignity," the judge declared, according to coverage by the New York Times and Daily News. "What she was doing wasn’t about enlightenment or operating in a different dimension. It was criminal." The judge noted Daedone did not appear remorseful, a sentiment echoed by several victims who described being left with severe emotional and financial scars.
Daedone, 58, was convicted in June 2025 of conspiracy to commit forced labor—charges that stemmed from a years-long scheme in which prosecutors alleged she and her co-defendant, Rachel Cherwitz, groomed employees and members to perform sex acts with OneTaste’s clients and investors. The company, originally founded in San Francisco in 2004, built its brand around OM—a 15-minute, partnered clitoral stroking ritual touted as a path to sexual and psychological wellness. At its height, OneTaste enjoyed glowing media coverage and even received an endorsement from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.
But beneath the public sheen, prosecutors painted a much darker picture. According to the Associated Press and New York Post, Daedone and Cherwitz used economic pressure, psychological manipulation, and emotional degradation to exert control over adherents—many of whom were survivors of sexual trauma. "Daedone and her co-conspirators exercised control through economic pressure, psychological manipulation, physical exhaustion and emotional degradation, leaving behind a trail of financial ruin and lasting trauma," prosecutors wrote in their filings.
One former employee, identified as Michal, told the court, "I trusted Nicole … in reality, I fell into Nicole’s trap. I was a perfect target because I was a vulnerable woman looking to improve my life." Her testimony, along with that of eight other former employees, described the company as cult-like, with members manipulated into performing sexual acts and working for little or no pay—sometimes for more than a decade.
As part of the sentencing, Judge Gujarati ordered Daedone to forfeit $12 million, matching the amount she received when she sold her stake in OneTaste in 2017, just before scrutiny of the company’s practices intensified. Seven victims were awarded approximately $890,000 in restitution. Cherwitz, OneTaste’s former sales director, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on the same day.
Federal prosecutors had sought a 20-year sentence for Daedone, arguing that her actions left "scores of victims financially, emotionally and psychologically scarred." The government’s case relied heavily on evidence and witness testimony describing how Daedone and Cherwitz encouraged women to submit to sexual acts as a demonstration of their commitment to the company’s principles—often under the pretense of achieving "freedom" and "enlightenment." In one particularly harrowing account, an employee who was a rape survivor was reportedly asked to "reenact" her trauma as part of a OneTaste course, a practice prosecutors described as deeply exploitative.
Yet, the case has not been without controversy. As reported by Reason and other outlets, some observers have questioned the government’s broad application of human trafficking and forced labor statutes in prosecuting Daedone. Notably, there were no allegations of physical violence or confinement, and the women involved were adults, many with college degrees and outside opportunities. The prosecution’s argument hinged on the idea that social pressure and psychological manipulation within the OneTaste community effectively nullified these women’s consent.
One key government witness, Ayries Blanck, was ultimately discredited after it was revealed she had fabricated evidence—journals she claimed were written in 2015 but were actually composed much later. Despite this, the prosecution pressed forward, and Daedone’s conviction stood.
Daedone herself declined to address the court at sentencing, simply stating, "no, thank you" when offered the opportunity to speak. Her defense team, led by attorney Jennifer Bonjean, argued that a lengthy sentence was excessive, emphasizing Daedone’s lack of a prior criminal record and her positive influence on many followers. "She has lived an uncommon and impactful life, and she is deeply respected by people from all walks of life, including many entirely unconnected to OneTaste," her lawyers wrote in their sentencing memo.
More than 200 letters of support were submitted to the court, including from CNN correspondent Van Jones, who described Daedone as "a woman of uncommon wisdom, grace and moral courage," and actor Richard Schiff, who praised her efforts to bring "compassion, awareness, and honesty to a part of human experience that is often shamed or misunderstood." More than two dozen supporters attended the sentencing, including current members of the rebranded Institute of OM. Anjuli Ayer, the company’s current CEO, called the verdict "a terrifying day for freedom," warning, "Once persuasion becomes a crime, anyone can be a defendant, and anyone can be a victim. We must correct the record or everyone will suffer."
Throughout the proceedings, Daedone’s defense maintained that she was a "ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur" whose business was grounded in women’s empowerment and sexual exploration. They argued that the government’s case represented a dangerous expansion of what constitutes forced labor and human trafficking, raising concerns about freedom of speech, sexual agency, and the boundaries of consent.
Despite the conviction, Daedone has continued to teach meditation to other inmates at the Brooklyn detention center, and her legal team has made clear their intention to appeal. Prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz has also indicated plans to seek a presidential pardon for both Daedone and Cherwitz.
The OneTaste saga has sparked heated debate about the limits of unconventional wellness practices, the meaning of consent, and the reach of federal law into the realm of sexual and psychological influence. For now, with Daedone beginning her prison term and the company’s legacy under intense scrutiny, the story stands as a cautionary tale about the fine line between empowerment and exploitation in the modern wellness industry.