Podcast Summary: Sounds Like a Cult – "The Cult of OneTaste"
Date: March 24, 2026
Hosts: Amanda Montel, Chelsea Charles
Guest: Ellen Hewitt (Investigative Journalist, author of Empire of Orgasm)
Main Theme:
An in-depth analysis of Onetaste, the company that popularized “orgasmic meditation” and ultimately faced criminal conviction for coercive practices, through the lens of cult dynamics, linguistics, and American self-help culture.
Episode Overview
The hosts examine Onetaste, a San Francisco-based “wellness” startup turned alleged sex cult, notorious for its promotion of “orgasmic meditation” as a spiritual and self-optimization practice. With exclusive insights from journalist and author Ellen Hewitt, the episode traces the group’s transformation from Silicon Valley disruptor to the subject of criminal trials for sex trafficking and labor violations. The discussion explores the organization's cult-like tactics, leader archetypes, exploitative language, and the cultural conditions that allowed it to thrive.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Onetaste: Origins and Promises
[05:03–08:33]
- Founding & Growth: Launched by Nicole Daedon as a blend of New Age spirituality and Silicon Valley startup energy, grew into a multimillion-dollar company.
- Signature Practice: Offered “orgasmic meditation”—a highly choreographed 15-minute ritual involving clitoral stimulation, marketed as "neuroscience-backed spiritual technology."
- Appeal: Promised enlightenment, healing, and emotional transformation as part of a “self-help fairy tale.”
“Enlightenment, healing and emotional transformation through a practice they called orgasmic meditation. Fucking content warning. This shit is like, it’s freaky.” — Amanda [05:37]
2. Unpacking Cultish Dynamics
[08:33–10:56; 14:07–16:09]
- Criminal Case: In June 2025, Daedon and her top executive were convicted for forced labor conspiracy.
- Media Sensationalism: Netflix documentary and public lawsuits intensified focus on the group.
- Framework: Onetaste is analyzed on the show's cult spectrum—do their tactics qualify as “live your life,” “watch your back,” or “get the fuck out” level cultishness?
“It is so hard to hold cults accountable this way. It’s kind of nuts.” — Amanda [09:24]
3. Interview with Ellen Hewitt: Insider Perspectives
[14:07–61:02]
First Impressions and Leader Profile
[14:08–18:49]
- Ellen’s Angle: Originally approached OneTaste as a quirky wellness startup, not a cult.
- Nicole Daedon: Modeled a “modern woman in power”—a blend of guru and CEO, performing the “girl boss” role of the 2000s/10s.
“She was really positioning herself as like a modern woman in power, like a thought leader and a CEO, a girl boss…” — Ellen [17:16]
Cult Language, Agency, and Consent
[19:25–24:45]
- Specialized Jargon: ‘OM,’ ‘stroker,’ ‘aversion practice,’ ‘golden pussy,’ and more created strong in-group/out-group separation.
- Manipulating Consent: The doctrine of “aversion practice” encouraged members to override personal boundaries for supposed growth, blurring lines of consent and agency.
“So all of a sudden aversion, which is usually a signal of your boundaries or your desires, becomes … actually you should do the opposite.” — Ellen [19:57]
“If you had too many preferences about who you were having sex with, that was a problem.” — Ellen [20:50]
Psychological Fallout and Conditioning
[24:45–28:15]
- Aftereffects: Ex-members struggled to reconstruct healthy ideas about sex and consent after leaving.
“I cannot stop thinking about the fallout after your psyche has now been rewired with how you view sex and experience sex.” — Chelsea [26:28]
Organizational Hierarchy and Control Structures
[31:51–34:48]
- Centralized Power: Nicole Daedon occupied the top, with “enforcers” like Rachel Churwitz to implement her will (mirroring classic cult structures).
- Sales Pressure: Aggressively upsold expensive courses, with ‘enforcer’ figures shaming and pressuring staff.
“Rachel … was kind of Nicole’s pit bull. If Nicole had an idea of what needed to happen, Rachel was the one who then went and like ... yelling at people, screaming ... shaming them in some way.” — Ellen [31:51]
Silicon Valley Meets Wellness—A Perfect Storm
[34:48–39:24]
- Business Model Fusion: OneTaste “hid” under the business acumen of Silicon Valley, selling expensive courses that combined self-optimization, spiritual language, and the promise of transcendence.
“It was offering something that people genuinely yearn for, which is like a promise to improve your ability to relate to other people, but at exactly the right time in the right place, which is a killer combination.” — Ellen [38:08]
The Doctrine of “Responsibility” and Harm
[39:24–40:46]
- Hyper-Responsibility: The group’s teachings dismissed victimhood, placing the onus for any harm or discomfort on the individual.
“If you tell someone ... it is lowly or weak minded or small minded to think of yourself as a victim ever ... that completely erases the possibility that someone could harm you.” — Ellen [40:46]
Was It All Malicious, or Self-Delusion?
[41:34–45:27]
- Mixed Motivation: Ellen notes Daedon alternated between apparent genuine belief in her “healing” mission, and manipulation for personal thrill.
“Her secret thrill was figuring out what she could get other people to do. And that’s not a great way to treat other people.” — Ellen quoting Daedon’s ex-husband [43:14]
Extreme Practices, Power Exchange, and Downfall
[45:27–51:46]
- Extreme Assignments: “Assignments” included sleeping with dozens of men or performing BDSM theater for investors (sometimes in exchange for capital), all reframed as “growth.”
- Legal Collapse: Allegations of sexual coercion, financial exploitation, and trafficking led to criminal investigations, the 2023 prosecution, and 2025 convictions.
“So, for example, some of the. What I would call an extreme behavior … Nicole would sometimes give assignments ... your orgasm seems really blocked up ... have sex with 30 different men in 30 days ...” — Ellen [45:27]
Memorable Moments & Quotes
-
Language Games & Red Flags
- “If you’ve been conditioned to think that orgasm, capital O means this like spiritual thing … then, well, great, now the only people you can talk to are other one taste people.” — Amanda [25:55]
-
Cult Exit Costs
- “To leave and find that you have so much ‹deconstruction and relearning and oftentimes trauma› ... This is an important reference point for this podcast.” — Amanda [28:16]
-
Cultural Critique
- “America, dude. It is truly no wonder that cults thrive here. Like, they’re set up to.” — Amanda [38:08]
Important Timestamps
- [01:47]: Early anecdote about aversion practice & boundary blurring
- [05:03]: Amanda introduces Onetaste’s history & criminal trial context
- [08:33]: Recap of legal outcome for Daedon and Churwitz
- [14:07]: Interview with Ellen Hewitt begins
- [19:25]: Deep dive into cult-specific language and its effects
- [24:45]: How redefinition of “orgasm” reframed reality for members
- [26:28]: Psychological fallout of post-cult sexual beliefs
- [31:51]: Leadership structure, sales pressure, and enforcer roles
- [34:48]: Business model, wellness boom, and capitalist language
- [41:34]: Discussion of Daedon’s intent and moral ambiguity
- [45:27]: Extreme practices, financial arrangements, and group’s downfall
- [51:46]: Ellen summarizes legal timeline and current status
- [52:17–60:16]: “What’s Cultier?” game: Onetaste vs. other culty phenomena
- [61:02–62:15]: Hosts officially categorize Onetaste as “Get the fuck out” on their cult scale
"What’s Cultier?" Game – Quick Take
(Comparing Onetaste to other “culty” groups and phenomena)
- Elizabeth Holmes vs. Onetaste? Onetaste is “cultier.”
- MLMs vs. Onetaste? MLMs have larger impact, but OneTaste is extremely culty for its size.
- Anti-Vaxxers vs. Onetaste? Anti-vaxxers seen as more culty due to involvement of children.
- Waldorf Schools vs. Onetaste? Onetaste is cultier given the control over adult sexuality and finances.
- Kundalini Yoga vs. Onetaste? More of a toss-up—OneTaste borrows from many metaphysical traditions.
- Twin Flames Universe vs. Onetaste? Both represent new cult models centered on relationships, with cult dynamics evolving with technology.
Final Analysis and Takeaway
- Category: "Get the fuck out" (most dangerous on the show's scale).
- Exit Costs: The psychological impact on ex-members is severe due to the manipulation of consent, sexuality, and agency.
- Wider Context: The Onetaste saga showcases the dark side of wellness culture, Silicon Valley’s optimization fetish, and the American tendency to commodify vulnerability—creating perfect soil for cultish groups to thrive.
“It’s a product of the general culty vulnerability in the United States that we’re just like fucked up about sex. And there’s a lot of purity culture and misogyny and sexual trauma in this country and a group to help rehabilitate that could be great. But like, onetaste was never it and that’s a shame. It’s a get the fuck out.” — Amanda [61:42]
Where to Find More
- Guest: Ellen Hewitt (Instagram: @hewitt, Substack: ellenpewit.substack.com)
- Book: Empire of Orgasm by Ellen Hewitt
Memorable Quote:
“A cult leader doesn’t even need to be human anymore. It can look like AI. ... The format of how that gets pulled is changing.” — Ellen [59:31]
Next episode: New cult, next week. “Stay culty, but not too cult.”