'Orgasmic meditation' company's founder gets 9 years in prison in forced labor case
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Nicole Daedone, co-founder of the sex-focused wellness company OneTaste Inc., was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on forced labor charges and ordered to forfeit $12 million, the amount she sold the company for in 2017.
- Prosecutors described a scheme where Daedone and co-conspirators used economic pressure, psychological manipulation, and abuse to coerce members into uncomfortable sexual acts under the guise of seeking "freedom" and "enlightenment."
- Daedone's defense argued for leniency, highlighting her lack of prior criminal record, positive character references from over 200 people including public figures like Van Jones and Richard Schiff, and her work promoting women's sexual empowerment.
- OneTaste, founded in 2004, promoted "orgasmic meditation," involving men manually stimulating women in group settings, and was initially praised as a pioneering enterprise in women's sexual wellness before facing legal scrutiny.
- The company has since rebranded as the Institute of OM Foundation, denying wrongdoing and claiming the charges against its former executives were unfounded.
