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OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone—who was charged with forced labor conspiracy in 2023—denied accusations that the wellness company, which teaches "orgasmic meditation" classes to women, is a sex cult.
By Leah Degrazia Nov 14, 2024 3:56 AMTags
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Nicole Daedone is addressing allegations about her wellness organization.
The OneTaste founder denied accusations that she subjected employees at the "orgasmic meditation" company to emotional and physical abuse, including forcing them to perform sex acts.
Daedone told NBC News in an interview published Nov. 13, “It’s definitely not true."
As for other allegations about her company? The former CEO also said she's not totally surprised that OneTaste—which has been followed by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Khloe Kardashian—has been accused of being a "sex cult," though she denies that it is one.
“The most honest thing I can say is, it makes sense to me on the one hand," she said. "And what I mean by that is, we do not have a culture that understands women’s power, women’s relationship to sexuality, women owning their desire."
Daedone founded OneTaste in 2005 with the goal of improving women's well-being by teaching "orgasmic meditation" classes, which are 15-minute partnered practices that aim to create a safe environment for women's sexual desires to be expressed. She sold the company, now called Institute of OM, in 2017. The wellness guru was charged with one count of forced labor conspiracy in 2023, one year after Netflix released the documentary Orgasm Inc., which featured former employees who said they were subjected to a toxic environment while part of the program.
Prosecutors allege that she preyed on victims of trauma, forced them into debt by opening lines of credit to pay for their courses at the company, had them sleep in communal homes and manipulated them into performing sex acts with investors and clients, according to NBC News.
But for Daedone, the allegations were simply "cut and paste."
"At OneTaste, we were rooted 100 percent in consent," the 56-year-old continued. "If I talk to you about the practice, from the very moment I would say to you, 'You can say yes or no,' and no is a perfectly acceptable answer throughout the practice itself."
Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Dream.Org
As for her next steps? Daedone will stand trial in January 2025 for her charge and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
But she said she is looking forward to proving her innocence in court.
"As much as any human being, as this woman, this person, would not want to go to court because it’s grueling, just even going to small hearings," she said. "I want to go to court because I want all of this transparent."
She added, "I want it to be exposed. I want everything that I didn’t say to be said."
(E! News and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
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