‘Orgasmic meditation’ leader sentenced in forced labor scheme

This episode of True Crime News explores the conviction and sentencing of Nicole Dedon and Rachel Cherwich, co-founders of One Taste, a San Francisco-based wellness company that taught 'orgasmic meditation' in group settings. Federal prosecutors charged them with forced labor conspiracy, alleging they psychologically and sexually coerced vulnerable members—many of whom had suffered trauma—into working for little or no pay, living in communal homes, and recruiting new members. Despite the company's branding as a feminist empowerment movement, the podcast reveals a cult-like structure with surveillance, emotional manipulation, and financial exploitation. The case gained public attention through a 2018 Bloomberg exposé and a 2022 Netflix documentary, 'Orgasm Inc.', which detailed the transformation from wellness education to a high-pressure, profit-driven enterprise. The founders were sentenced to nine and six-and-a-half years in prison, respectively, and ordered to forfeit $12 million and pay restitution. Even after incarceration, Dedon’s AI-generated avatar continues to promote the movement under a rebranded entity, Eros Platform, raising further ethical and legal concerns. The episode also covers a separate, large-scale Everest insurance fraud scheme involving guides, hospitals, and helicopter services, where climbers were allegedly poisoned or faked illnesses to trigger fraudulent rescues and insurance payouts totaling over $20 million. The episode underscores the blurred lines between personal freedom, spiritual expression, and exploitation, particularly when vulnerable individuals are targeted under the guise of empowerment. It questions the limits of the First Amendment in protecting controversial lifestyles when coercion and labor violations are involved. The hosts and guest, Rachel Fassé, emphasize the disturbing psychological manipulation, financial entrapment, and the normalization of non-consensual acts within the company’s culture. The case also highlights how powerful branding and celebrity endorsements can mask systemic abuse, and how legal systems respond when traditional labor laws are applied to emotionally charged, cult-like environments. Despite the convictions, the founders continue to deny wrongdoing and appeal, while the movement persists under new names and digital avatars, raising concerns about the long-term reach of such organizations.