US: OneTaste Leaders Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz Convicted of Forced Labor

A Brooklyn federal jury delivered a guilty verdict on Monday, June 9, 2025, against Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, the former CEO and head of sales, respectively, of the San Francisco-based wellness company OneTaste. The conviction, for forced labor, concludes a high-profile case that exposed the alleged exploitation of employees within a purportedly spiritual organization. The charges stemmed from allegations of psychological manipulation, surveillance, indoctrination, and intimidation used to coerce employees into working excessive hours for minimal or no compensation, a stark contrast to the company's image of self-improvement and personal fulfillment.

The prosecution presented compelling evidence detailing the alleged coercive tactics employed by Daedone and Cherwitz. Three witnesses testified that they were compelled to become "handlers" for Reese Jones, a OneTaste investor and Daedone's boyfriend, performing both degrading sexual acts and arduous manual labor. These accounts painted a picture of a system where workers were systematically deprived of fair wages and subjected to intense psychological pressure, effectively rendering them unable to leave the company. This strategy, according to legal analysis, constitutes a clear violation of labor laws and constitutes a form of modern-day slavery, echoing similar cases involving organizations cloaking exploitative practices under the guise of spiritual or self-help initiatives.

The defense's argument, centered on the First Amendment protection of OneTaste's spiritual teachings and the absence of physical force, failed to persuade the jury. This case underscores the critical legal distinction between religious freedom and the exploitation of vulnerable individuals. While the First Amendment protects religious expression, it does not shield illegal activities such as forced labor and human trafficking. The lack of physical violence didn't negate the insidious nature of the alleged psychological manipulation and control, which effectively trapped employees within a system designed to benefit the leadership at the expense of its workers.

OneTaste, which gained a degree of mainstream popularity in the mid-2010s through its "orgasmic meditation" classes involving specific sexual practices, was sold for $12 million in 2017. Subsequent journalistic investigations have painted a damning picture of the company, revealing a pattern of behavior consistent with that of a for-profit sex cult. This conviction serves as a significant legal precedent, highlighting the challenges of prosecuting cases involving complex forms of coercion and manipulation within organizations that leverage spiritual or wellness rhetoric to mask exploitative labor practices. The potential sentencing of up to 20 years in prison for each defendant sends a strong message about the legal consequences of such actions.

The long-term implications of this verdict extend beyond the immediate consequences for Daedone and Cherwitz. It raises crucial questions about regulatory oversight within the wellness industry and the need for robust mechanisms to protect vulnerable individuals from exploitative practices disguised as spiritual growth or self-improvement. The case serves as a cautionary tale, prompting increased scrutiny of similar organizations and potentially leading to legislative changes aimed at improving worker protections within this often unregulated sector. This verdict is likely to fuel further investigation into similar organizations and could trigger a reevaluation of existing labor laws and regulations designed to address these increasingly sophisticated forms of exploitation.