The ringleader of an alleged orgasmic sex cult claimed her controversial ‘orgasmic meditation’ was not forced onto anyone and was simply ‘yoga with a twist.’
OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone and Head of Sales Rachel Cherwitz were charged with forced labor conspiracy in 2023 for coercing volunteers, employees and contractors to perform sex acts, according to the Department of Justice.
The California natives both pleaded not guilty, claiming their work promoted female empowerment through orgasms.
During opening statements of their highly-anticipated trial, which kicked off this week, the women’s legal team fiercely denied accusations that anything about their activities was predatory or exploitative.
‘It was like yoga with a twist,’ Daedone’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, bluntly declared in Brooklyn’s US District Court on Tuesday.
She added that the reason for any unflattering accusations made against OneTaste stem from shame felt from former participants.
‘Now they’re married and have kids and don’t want their neighbors to know what they were doing in their 20s,’ Bonjean said about former members.
‘At the time, they were having a blast. Grown people made grown decisions they don’t want to stand by.’
OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone (right) and Head of Sales Rachel Cherwitz (left) were charged with forced labor conspiracy in 2023 (pictured: Daedone and Cherwitz walking into Brooklyn court on Tuesday)
During opening statements of their highly-anticipated trial, which kicked off this week, the women’s legal team fiercely denied accusations that anything about the controversial activity was predatory or exploitative (pictured: Daedone)
Between 2006 and 2008, OneTaste allegedly subjected members to ‘economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse; surveillance; indoctrination; and intimidation,’ the indictment reads (pictured: an ‘orgasm meditation’ demonstration)
Bonjean described Daedone as a spiritual and educated businesswoman who developed ‘a scientific-based practice with proven benefits,’ according to The New York Times.
This scientifically-driven practice: a ritual involving a woman lying down without any pants or undergarments as someone rubbed her genitals for about 15 minutes, according to the indictment.
Wrapping up on Tuesday, Bonjean accused the court of trying to criminalize a sex-positive lifestyle and said people were free to leave whenever they pleased.
‘That’s not force, that’s not coercion. It may even be growth,’ Bojean said.
At one point, OneTaste operated centers in cities including New York, San Francisco, Denver, Las Vegas, Boulder, Los Angeles, Austin and London.
In New York City, OneTaste leased residences and hosted events in several different locations, including in Brooklyn and the Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem, Hell’s Kitchen, Soho and the West Village.
Between 2006 and 2008, OneTaste allegedly subjected members to ‘economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse; surveillance; indoctrination; and intimidation,’ the indictment reads.
Prosecutors said they preyed on traumatized women and told them their ‘orgasmic meditation’ could heal them.
Five months before Daedone and Cherwitz were indicted, Netflix aired Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste (pictured)
Daedone and Cherwitz have been accused of forcing members to become dependent on each other – making them share beds and travel in groups.
Financially, they allegedly urged people to go into debt so they had nowhere else to go.
In August of 2015, former employee Ayries Blanck filed a lawsuit against the company.
Blanck started working for the firm in 2012, but left in 2014.
She then signed a non-disclosure agreement and settled out of court with OneTaste for $325,000 after alleging she was manipulated into having sex.
In the lawsuit, she claimed she was subjected her to a ‘hostile work environment, sexual harassment, failure to pay minimum wage and intentional infliction of emotional distress.’
Five months before Daedone and Cherwitz were indicted, Netflix aired Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste.
Blanck was featured in the bombshell documentary, in which she shared her journal entries that painted a dark picture of the workplace.
The ringleader of an alleged orgasmic sex cult claimed her controversial ‘orgasmic meditation’ was simply ‘yoga with a twist’ (pictured: Jennifer Bonjean, left, and Daedone, right, leaving court on Tuesday)
A 2022 Netflix documentary repeated allegations by former employee Ayries Blanck (pictured) that OneTaste ‘condoned violence’ against Ayries and ‘found strangers to rape her’
But in March, Blanck’s journals were thrown out of the Brooklyn court under defense pressure – and prosecutors said she was no longer considered a key witness.
‘The government no longer believes that the disputed portions of the handwritten journals are authentic,’ prosecutors wrote to the judge.
They said the diaries were transcribed years later.
In April, an FBI special agent, who was also involved in the Netflix hit, was accused of fabricating evidence by a member of Congress.
DailyMail.com obtained a letter to FBI director Kash Patel ‘seeking answers’ about the special agent in the case.
The representative, whose name is redacted, alleges a special agent of the New York City division has ‘a long and extremely troubling list of alleged investigative abuses which demand accountability.’
DailyMail.com has decided not to name the agent in the letter, whose ‘actions appear to represent a fundamental corruption of the investigative process and a failure of agent accountability,’ it reads.
Prosecutors said they preyed on traumatized women and told them their ‘orgasmic meditation’ could heal them (pictured: an ‘orgasm meditation’ demonstration)
Adding to the convoluted nature surrounding Daedone and Cherwitz’s legal situation, they sued Netflix for airing ‘completely false’ accusations against them (pictured: Cherwitz arriving at court on Tuesday)
The letter accuses the special agent of ‘participating in Netflix productions while investigating targets’ plus making up evidence ‘through entertainment media.’ filing misleading affidavits, directing witnesses to destroy evidence and using personal email to avoid official scrutiny.
‘Most disturbing is the systematic effort to transform Netflix-created content into federal evidence,’ it states.
‘This isn’t just overreach – it’s deliberate fabrication of a criminal case through entertainment media.’
Adding to the convoluted nature surrounding Daedone and Cherwitz’s legal situation, they sued Netflix for airing ‘completely false’ accusations against them.
The pair also took legal action against Blanck for breaching her NDA and settlement agreement.
