Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Guest: Ellen Huet (On Wellness Cults)

Date: January 28, 2026
Episode Title: Ellen Huet (on wellness cults)
Main Theme:
An investigative deep dive into the rise and fall of the wellness cult OneTaste, the dynamics of cults in modern society, and the personal and social mechanisms that make such organizations appealing, through the lens of investigative journalist Ellen Huet and her new book "Empire of Sex, Power and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult."

Episode Overview

Dax Shepard and Monica Padman are joined by award-winning investigative reporter Ellen Huet, who discusses her extensive research into OneTaste, a controversial wellness company centered around "orgasmic meditation." Ellen traces the group’s evolution from a provocative self-improvement start-up to a dangerous, exploitative cult, explaining the psychological, social, and structural ingredients that make cults—including OneTaste—so alluring and harmful. The trio explores themes of group psychology, personal vulnerability, power, sexual dynamics, legal boundaries, and the universal human search for meaning and connection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ellen’s Communal Living (03:27–11:45)

• Ellen currently lives with 20 adults and 8 children under four in a co-housing setup, which she jokingly calls a "commune" but emphasizes is not a cult.
  • “The WiFi password is 'not a cult.'”
    — Ellen (04:33)
• The cohab group rotates cooking, sometimes pooling money for a chef. Living together provides logistical and emotional support, but isn’t always harmonious.
• Dax relates his own experience of “podding up” during COVID, drawing parallels to communal living benefits.

Defining a Cult and Its Characteristics (11:45–15:43)

• Cults exist on a spectrum, not a binary; a charismatic leader is common but not required.
• A central feature in almost every cult is intense control over members’ sexuality—be it enforced celibacy or orchestrated promiscuity—which helps maintain power and leverage:
  • “Most cults control their members’ sexuality in some way… heard experts describe this as just an effective tactic.”
    — Ellen (12:17)
• The “no leader” aspect in groups like Alcoholics Anonymous is cited as a key reason such organizations avoid cult status despite having other cult-like features.

Avoiding Cult Dynamics and the Allure of Leadership (15:08–16:24)

• Dax is candid about the temptation of influencer power:
  • “I regularly am trying to make sure I’m not becoming a narcissist or cult leader you like.”
• Ellen shares a tip for cult immunity: “Try to join more than one [group].” If coexisting is possible, it’s probably not a cult.

Ellen’s Journey into Journalism & Early Career (16:31–22:51)

• Ellen’s path from Stanford to breaking news in San Francisco to tech and business reporting at Bloomberg.
• Discussion on the Silicon Valley ethos—risk, failure, and reward—and famous startup busts (Juicero, Theranos).
• The Juicero story: A high-profile startup creating a $400–$700 juice machine, which Ellen’s reporting revealed was effectively unnecessary (“you could just squeeze the packets by hand”).

Notable Quote

“I don’t feel great about [taking down a company]… but the public should know.”
— Ellen (23:13)

Entering the World of OneTaste (25:42–38:09)

• The origin story of OneTaste: A wellness startup selling courses on "Orgasmic Meditation" (OM)—a 15-minute clitoral-stroking meditation with strictly prescribed rules.
• OM pitched as “radically focused on female pleasure” but with a rigid structure and no reciprocation expected.
• OneTaste’s appeal: Promises of improved sex, relationships, and empowerment attract both women (seeking sexual agency) and men (enticed by access to intimacy).

Memorable Moment

“The only goal is for both parties to focus on the sensations in their bodies in sort of a meditative way.”
— Ellen (28:06)

The Darker Side: Exploitation, Pressure, and Abuse (38:11–72:33)

• Early on, Ellen’s investigation found “ex-members felt exploited,” especially regarding financial and sexual coercion.
  • “Some people spoke about feeling like they had been exploited financially… pressured to take on debt… others talked about being pressured to have sex with potential customers”
    — Ellen (38:28)
• Key pivot points included:
  • Financial struggles leading to sales pressure for expensive courses.
  • The introduction of insider-only communal living, deeper hierarchies, and religious/occult-like elements (magic schools, priests/priestesses).
• The leader, Nicole Daedone, had a complex childhood, entangling trauma with ideology; her father was a convicted child sex abuser, influencing both her worldview and the pseudo-philosophical justifications used in the group.

Quotes on Nicole’s Background

“I never took on the idea that my dad was a bad person. I just believed that he was too expansive for the arbitrary laws of our third dimension.”
— Ellen, relaying Nicole's words (76:44)

• The “Beast” doctrine: OneTaste’s leadership encouraged embracing men’s predatory nature; rejecting the concept of victimhood, blaming those who were harmed for not "owning" their experience, and dangerously blurring lines between consensual exploration and abuse.
  • Discussion of former members being pressured—sometimes subtly, sometimes overtly—into sexual acts as a form of “growth” or penance.

Notable Exchange

Ellen: “It is empowering to take full responsibility for your life and your experience… but it can be used to gaslight people into thinking that everything that happens to them is their fault.” (49:20)
Dax: “If there’s no victims, then there are no perpetrators. How nice.” (49:55)

Cult Growth, Celeb Endorsements, and Media Attention (52:05–55:23)

• OneTaste expanded from a single warehouse to multiple locations in the US, London, and Australia.
• Mainstream exposure—from The New York Times to TEDx, Tim Ferriss, Goop, Khloe Kardashian—played a significant role in legitimizing the cult, whether intentionally or not.

Quote

“It’s hard to want to critique orgasmic meditation because… it was this commendable thing. It was like raising up female sexuality.”
— Ellen (55:23)

Psychological Mechanisms & The “Slow Boil” (55:41–72:17)

• The journey deeper into OneTaste was incremental—members often didn’t realize how much their personal boundaries shifted over time (the “boiling frog” effect).
• Higher and higher "courses" created constant incentives for members to stay invested, both financially and emotionally.

“Consent” and Legal Gray Areas (84:29–87:30)

• The legal prosecution centered on the complex issue of coercion vs. consent within a high-pressure group:
  • “If you can’t freely say no, then you can’t freely say yes, and therefore you can’t consent.” — Ellen (86:56)
• Trials focused on whether psychological and implicit pressures undermined real consent, and the difficulty in prosecuting charismatic group leaders who rarely issue direct commands.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Communal Living & “Not a Cult”

• 04:33 Ellen Huet: “The WiFi password is ‘not a cult’... We joke a lot about it. It definitely doesn’t qualify in a lot of ways.”

On Cult Dynamics & Power

• 15:38 Dax Shepard: “I regularly am trying to make sure I’m not becoming a narcissist or cult leader you like.”
• 12:17 Ellen Huet: “Most cults control their members’ sexuality in some way... It’s just an effective tactic if you manage to control someone’s sex life.”

On OneTaste’s Origin

• 28:19 Ellen Huet: “During those 15 minutes, the only goal is for both parties to focus on sensations in their bodies in a meditative way.”

On Exploitation

• 38:28 Ellen Huet: “Some people spoke about feeling like they had been exploited financially... pressured to take on debt... others talked about being pressured to have sex with potential customers.”

On Nicole Daedone’s Worldview

• 76:44 Ellen Huet: “I never took on the idea that my dad was a bad person. I just believed that he was too expansive for the arbitrary laws of our third dimension.”

On Psychological Manipulation

• 49:20 Ellen Huet: “Taking 100% responsibility for your experience... can be taken too far and used to gaslight people... everything that happens to them is their fault.”

On Cult Susceptibility

• 82:18 Ellen Huet: “It’s not about smarts. It’s about your yearning and your seeking... if the right match finds you at the right time, you are at heightened vulnerability.”

On Status and Social Pressure

• 84:29 Ellen Huet: “You are going to make decisions that are in line with that set of social pressures rather than your own moral compass. Your moral compass goes out the window.”

On Meeting Nicole

• 88:55 Ellen Huet: “She immediately smiles and waves... She goes, ‘We have a strange intimacy.’... She’s a charmer.”

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:27–11:45 — Ellen’s Communal Living and Group Dynamics
• 11:45–15:43 — What Makes a Cult (Spectrum, Leadership, Sexual Control)
• 16:31–22:51 — Ellen’s Journalism Career & Tech Reporting
• 25:42–38:09 — OneTaste’s Practices and Public Pitch
• 38:11–72:33 — Inner Workings, Abuse, Financial Pressures, Leadership Pathology
• 72:33–80:29 — Nicole Daedone’s Background, Parental Trauma, Pseudo-Philosophy
• 84:29–90:47 — Group Status, Implicit Coercion, Legal Dilemmas

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Modern cults blur the lines of consent and coercion through social status games, psychological manipulation, and gradually shifting group norms.
• OneTaste’s evolution from wellness startup to criminally prosecuted cult demonstrates the risks inherent when charismatic leaders exploit the universal human search for connection, meaning, and healing.
• Ellen’s reporting and the book "Empire of Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult" provide a cautionary, nuanced look at how these movements take root and flourish—even among seemingly sophisticated, intelligent people.
• The episode closes with a reminder to all: susceptibility to these dynamics isn’t about intelligence, but about timing, context, and our innate need for belonging.

Book Plug:
Empire of Sex, Power and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult by Ellen Huet