Required sex with high-profile clients. Investors being walked around on a leash. A sex act inspired by a classic children’s film.
The initial weeks of testimony in the trial of San Francisco’s “orgasmic meditation” startup OneTaste offered some sordid details.
OneTaste earned millions by selling workshops, retreats, and training programs based on what it called “OMing”; essentially, stroking the genitals of female participants as a pathway to wellness and sexual fulfillment. Critics said it was a cult and a pyramid scheme.
A Bloomberg News report led to a federal investigation and the 2023 indictment of founder Nicole Daedone and former head of sales Rachel Cherwitz. They are each facing a single charge of conspiracy to commit forced labor, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The defendants and their attorneys deny the charges and have blamed the media for shaping a false narrative. Per Courthouse News, here are a few of the biggest claims made in the federal trial, which kicked off May 5 in New York.
‘Wizard of Oz’-themed sex party for an investor
Christopher Hubbard, OneTaste’s former chief technology officer, testified that he worked with Daedone to attract tech executive Reese Jones and get him to invest in the company. One of these was a sexual experience based on “The Wizard of Oz,” in which Jones followed a yellow brick road to a bed, with sound and visual effects reminiscent of the tornado from the film.
Employees ordered to have sex during sales meeting
Based on the testimony of former employee Rebecca Halpern and another known as Max, Cherwitz attributed a drop-off in profits at OneTaste’s New York branch to sexual tension between the two. She stopped the meeting and ordered them to have sex. Halpern described the encounter as “awkward” because her friend, also at the meeting, was in a relationship with Max.
Abuse and unwanted touching
Halpern claimed she was convinced to sign up for a $12,000 OneTaste coaching session she couldn’t afford and was subsequently put on a payment plan and started working at the organization. When she started becoming disillusioned with it, she was berated by Cherwitz, who allegedly described her as a “virus” and directed others to shun her. At one OMing session, Cherwitz took over, stroking Halpern and telling her that her orgasm was “broken” and she was “not good at this anymore.”
Members required to sexually service investors
Two former members said they were required or asked to have sex with investors and high-paying clients as part of their duties. A former assistant of Daedone said her job responsibilities included sexual activity with Jones, who was Daedone’s boyfriend. Another former member, Dana Gill, said she was instructed to have sex with Jones and engage in activities like walking him around on a leash or whipping him.
The trial is being held in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York and is expected to end in mid-June.