Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ellen Huet is the author of 'Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult,' available from MCD Books. She was my guest in Episode 1008.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation wherever you get podcasts.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
OneTaste hoped orgasm would change the world. Emerging in the midst of the late-aughts for-profit wellness boom, the company was unwavering in its faith in orgasmic meditation, or OM, a fifteen-minute practice involving a woman being clitorally stimulated by a clothed, usually male partner. Nicole Daedone, the group’s magnetic and cunning founder, envisioned a world where OM was as widespread as yoga. But Daedone’s vision came at a price: behind the militant loyalty she inspired and the millions of dollars in sales was what former members describe as a cult of manipulation, abuse, and coercion driven by a relentless quest for control. And by the time the FBI showed up at her door in 2023 with an indictment alleging that she had conspired to commit forced labor, even Daedone herself was no longer safe.
Building on the viral Bloomberg article that exposed the dark sides of OneTaste and of Daedone, Ellen Huet’s Empire of Orgasm tells how a boundary-pushing wellness program became a cult that, according to dozens of witnesses, ruthlessly exploited its members. Huet, the undeniable authority on the group, reveals how, in demanding absolute fealty to Daedone on the path to enlightenment and healing, OneTaste pushed its followers past their limits—sexually, emotionally, financially—and left the lives of many in shambles. The story culminates in Daedone’s conviction in June 2025 after a five-week criminal trial.
A riveting saga and a nuanced exploration of the mechanics of manipulation, Empire of Orgasm is an extraordinary account of wellness gone wrong.
Ellen Huet is the author of 'Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult,' available from MCD Books. She was my guest in Episode 1008.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation wherever you get podcasts.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
OneTaste hoped orgasm would change the world. Emerging in the midst of the late-aughts for-profit wellness boom, the company was unwavering in its faith in orgasmic meditation, or OM, a fifteen-minute practice involving a woman being clitorally stimulated by a clothed, usually male partner. Nicole Daedone, the group’s magnetic and cunning founder, envisioned a world where OM was as widespread as yoga. But Daedone’s vision came at a price: behind the militant loyalty she inspired and the millions of dollars in sales was what former members describe as a cult of manipulation, abuse, and coercion driven by a relentless quest for control. And by the time the FBI showed up at her door in 2023 with an indictment alleging that she had conspired to commit forced labor, even Daedone herself was no longer safe.
Building on the viral Bloomberg article that exposed the dark sides of OneTaste and of Daedone, Ellen Huet’s Empire of Orgasm tells how a boundary-pushing wellness program became a cult that, according to dozens of witnesses, ruthlessly exploited its members. Huet, the undeniable authority on the group, reveals how, in demanding absolute fealty to Daedone on the path to enlightenment and healing, OneTaste pushed its followers past their limits—sexually, emotionally, financially—and left the lives of many in shambles. The story culminates in Daedone’s conviction in June 2025 after a five-week criminal trial.
A riveting saga and a nuanced exploration of the mechanics of manipulation, Empire of Orgasm is an extraordinary account of wellness gone wrong.
