BROOKLYN — Attorney Alan Dershowitz plans to ask President Donald Trump to pardon Nicole Daedone and Rachel Cherwitz, the two leaders of OneTaste who were convicted of forced labor conspiracy by a federal court in Brooklyn in June. The pair face up to 20 years in prison when they are sentenced on March 30, 2026.

"I believe this is a miscarriage of justice," Dershowitz said. "I intend to present the case for clemency directly."

Daedone founded OneTaste in San Francisco in 2004, and the company grew into a multimillion-dollar business that attracted media attention through its teaching of orgasmic meditation. The company faced increased scrutiny after Bloomberg published an article about OneTaste in 2018 and Netflix released a documentary titled "Orgasm Inc." in 2022 that included allegations that OneTaste was involved in emotional and physical abuse.

During the five-week trial, prosecutors argued that OneTaste leaders manipulated members, some of whom described psychological pressure, financial exploitation and an environment that blurred personal boundaries. The defense denied the allegations, stating that participants were consenting adults engaged in a lifestyle and wellness movement.

"As soon as I saw the indictment, I realized that with a few changes of words, this indictment could have been directed against Mormon groups, against Hasidic groups, against various Protestant or Catholic sects. There are so many people who join ideological or religious groups, volunteer their time and later become disillusioned. The idea that prosecutors can later say that voluntary participation must have been coercion is extremely dangerous," Dershowitz said.

Attorneys for Daedone and Cherwitz plan to appeal their convictions after sentencing. "We will seek every possible remedy, legal and political," he said.

Jennifer Bonjean, an attorney representing one of the defendants, said the government brought charges months after the Netflix documentary was released. "After a five-year investigation, the government brought a conspiracy charge no one has ever seen before, and did so just months after a Netflix film their own FBI participated in was released," Bonjean said. "At its core, this case turns decade-old regret into a federal crime carrying a potential 20-year sentence."

Daedone and Cherwitz are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.