Founder of Alleged 'Orgasm Cult' Appears In Court And The Charges Are Insane

Nicole Daedone, the CEO of OneTaste and founder of an alleged "Orgasm Cult," appeared in court Thursday for the first time since being bailed out on $1 million bond last summer.  

How's THAT for a Saturday morning tease!?

During the hearing earlier this week – the first time everyone's been in the same room together since last June – Judge Diane Gujarati sent a tentative trial date for next January. 

Talk about drawing something out, huh? 

This little meet-up came just weeks after Daedone's lawyer submitted a motion to have the charges tossed – arguing the women "remain in the dark" as to how they allegedly violated the law.

Oh, buddy – we'll get to it. Don't you worry. 

Nicole Daedone appears in court in a world of trouble 

So, I don't know how much you know about this story, but it's a doozy. So much so that it became a Netflix documentary a few years back. 

You know when you've become a Netflix doc, you're in trouble. Never a good sign. 

Anyway, Nicole Daedone (she's the tall one in the above picture) is the founder of OneTaste, which – in it's heyday – promoted "orgasmic meditation" for women. Turns out, that wasn't exactly what was going on. 

And, by that, I mean she was eventually accused of coercing and grooming members of OneTaste into having sex with investors and clients for more than a decade. 

So, you know – not exactly what I think of when I hear orgasmic meditation. 

Anyway, prosecutors alleged last summer that Daedone and former Head of Sales, Rachel Cherwitz, ran the business like a cult by recruiting clients who had endured prior trauma and promising then they could fix their sexual dysfunction. 

Instead, the two ladies forced members into massive debt and subjected them to "economic, sexual, emotional and psychological abuse" as well as "surveillance, indoctrination and intimidation" to get them to work for free, according to the indictment.

Not great. 

Last summer, prosecutors said members of OneTaste were made to live in communal homes and forced to engage in "uncomfortable or repulsive" sex acts. In classic cult leader fashion, Daedone claimed this was the path to "freedom and enlightenment."

And, in another page ripped right out of the cult handbook, if someone didn't agree to the alleged orders, the pair shamed, humiliated and retaliated against them, prosecutors said.

Long story short – this alleged scheme lasted over a decade – Daedone and Cherwitz were charged last summer with forced labor conspiracy. If convicted, they could face prison terms of two decades each.

Wild stuff. 

Anyway, the two were bailed out last June and have been laying low ever since. Probably a good thing, too, since the judge presiding over the case apparently issued a stark warning to Daedone as she walked free.

"You should consider you’re being watched," US federal Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom said at the time. 

Aaaaaaaand speaking of watching stuff, this whole Orgasm Cult led to the aforementioned Netflix doc back in 2022 … in case you need something to watch this weekend.