Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste is the latest documentary series on Netflix that you won’t want to miss.
The documentary explores the troubled past of sexual wellness company OneTaste, founded by Nicole Daedone, and its alleged so-called “orgasm cult”.
Featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with former OneTaste staff and members, journalist Ellen Huet and Daedone’s ex-husband, Orgasm Inc traces 15 years of OneTaste’s history under Daedone’s leadership, and delves into the allegations of sex trafficking, prostitution and violations of labor law that OneTaste faced.
Newsweek has everything you need to know about OneTaste founder Nicole Daedone and where she is now.
What Happened to Nicole Daedone?
In 2005 Nicole Daedone and Robert Kandell founded the sexual wellness company, OneTaste, which promised its members “spiritual enlightenment and community” through 15-minute female orgasms.
As heard in Netflix’s Orgasm Inc, OneTaste promoted “orgasmic meditation (OM),” a trademarked procedure that usually involves a man using a gloved, lubricated fingertip to stroke a woman’s clitoris for 15 minutes.
Netflix
By 2018, over 35,000 had attended OneTaste in-person events and over 16,000 had taken part in classes and workshops, according to OneTaste’s website.
An additional 1,300 people had completed a coaching program and tens of thousands had mastered the art of “orgasmic meditation.” As heard in Orgasm Inc, OneTaste’s client base was mainly within San Francisco’s tech area.
However, in June 2018, a darker side to OneTaste was exposed when the company was faced with allegations of prostitution and sex trafficking from former members. OneTaste members also reported experiencing verbal and emotional abuse under Daedone’s leadership.
As seen in Netflix’s Orgasm Inc, OneTaste has always denied any allegations of abuse. The company also told Netflix it had “invested in diversity, equity and inclusion for more than a decade before it was corporate term and has regularly hosted lesbian and queer events.”
Newsweek has contacted OneTaste for comment.
An article by Ellen Huet for Bloomberg in June 2018 featured allegations from former employees who claimed OneTaste was a “prostitution ring” with staff being allegedly asked to have sex or perform “orgasmic meditation” with each other and OneTaste clients.
Bloomberg also alleged employees were forced to take courses and attend retreats they couldn’t afford, with some finding themselves in “five-figure” debts.
In 2015, OneTaste agreed to a six-figure out-of-court settlement to a former employee who said she suffered sexual assault and harassment, as well as other labor violations, while on the job, Bloomberg reported.
In 2018, a former employee filed a sexual abuse and fraud lawsuit against the company. However, the lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in 2019.
The FBI began an investigation into the company over claims of “sex trafficking, prostitution, and violations of labor law,” however, the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been brought to date.
Where Is Nicole Daedone Now?
In 2017, Nicole Daedone sold her stake in OneTaste and stayed out of the spotlight until 2022.
However, in April 2022, she brought a libel case against the BBC over a series of podcasts released in 2020 about OneTaste. She is also the subject of the ongoing FBI investigation.
Today, it appears Daedone is now standing by her former company.
She is still listed as the CEO of OneTaste if her LinkedIn page is anything to go by and there has been no news regarding her departure from OneTaste.
According to the OneTaste website, as recently as November 1, 2022, Daedone attended a talk and demonstration in New York City. On the website, she is named as the “OM creator” and OneTaste was relaunched under new owners.
Netflix
Also on November 1, OneTaste announced the availability of its “Intro to OM” workshops in Los Angeles and New York City as well as its first-ever app.
The app, called “The OM App,” provides “free OM instruction” by OneTaste’s sister company, Institute of OM, a non-profit research center, which was founded in 2018.
The Institute of OM reportedly engaged “world-leading” science researchers to study the effects of orgasmic meditation.
Additionally, at the end of Netflix’s Orgasm Inc, it is revealed sources close to the documentary have said Daedone is looking for a ghostwriter to collaborate on a book about “cancel culture.”
OneTaste has denied all of the allegations against them, also writing on their website: “in 2018, at the height of our success, we were canceled by salacious media mischaracterizations propagated by Bloomberg Businessweek, Playboy, VICE, BBC. It appears that these will be repeated on a forthcoming production on Netflix.”
Orgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste is streaming on Netflix now.
