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BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: CEO of the sexual wellness organization OneTaste, Anjuli Ayer, said that the allegations of abuse brought against the company were "totally false."
OneTaste founders Nicole Daedone, 56, and Rachel Cherwitz, 43, indicted in June by the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), have been at the receiving end of accusations of keeping women in "residential warehouses" and forcing them to engage in sexual activities.
What is OneTaste?
OneTaste is a sexual wellness company that focuses on "orgasmic meditation," comprising a 15-minute partner practice involving a waist-downward naked woman lying in a comfortable position and getting "stroked" by another fellow practitioner, often a man, as per Daily Mail.
The company was founded in 2005 with a mission to propagate a lifestyle based on a shared sense of connection.
"OneTaste was founded in 2005 with a mission to provide people with teaching and trainings into living a desire-based life, rooted in a felt-sense of connection," says the website of the organization, adding that it's "focussed on continuing the broader mission of Eros: to bring rehumanization to the world."
Who is Anjuli Ayer?
Anjuli Ayer is the current CEO of OneTaste and held the position since 2017 after being introduced to the organization by Daedone in 2016.
Notably, Daedone and Cherwitz were indicted on June 6 by the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) of forced labor. While Cherwitz is still attached to the company, Daedone has retracted her membership after the indictment.
OneTaste claimed to Daily Mail that the allegations hurled at them were false and part of a "malicious crusade" by a former employee.
Ayer said, "It was utterly devastating," adding, "When I acquired the company, I knew that I couldn't ignore how much it changed my life and how much I wanted women to have access to power like that."
The current CEO of OneTaste continued, "I did not anticipate a five-year snowballed media campaign of negative allegations against us," along with, "That's what happened if you look at it. You take women and you take sexuality and then you put it together with a couple of people who are upset in some way and want to tell lies."
"We teach a practice that's based in connection. So the most powerful thing we have is connection, and we teach a practice, that's for women's empowerment," expressed Ayer.
Further, she noted, "If you look at the allegations, and every single piece of media there have been four major pieces. They're all based on just a very, very small number of people who are personally upset."
What are the accusations against OneTaste?
OneTaste has faced a lot of allegations, one among them being that the company kept the victims under "constant surveillance" after isolating them from their families.
Moreover, the indictment document said that when the members could not continue with the expensive classes, they were forced to take debts with Daedon and Cherwitz, even helping them to get hold of new credit cards.
Even though the accusations came forward after several former employees voiced their displeasure, OneTaste believes that they are from "just one person," pointing at their former employee Ayries Blanck, who joined it in 2012.
In a lawsuit filed in 2015, Blanck claimed that she was subjected to a "hostile work environment, sexual harassment, failure to pay minimum wage, and intentional infliction of emotional distress."
Other allegations against the company, like "forced and manipulated her into having sex and taking part in orgasmic meditation with OneTaste staff, supervisors, and customers," were denied by OneTaste.
Ayer stated, "This is not Nicole and Rachel indicted, this is Eros indicted. And this is in a way, even amongst the people in that courtroom, it's a conversation between women."
"At the time of the lawsuit in 2014, the business had very little money. And I can tell you from putting a phenomenal amount of resources into various suits, that it's incredibly expensive," added the OneTaste CEO, as per Daily Mail.
Blanck's lawsuit against OneTaste was settled out of court for $325,000 in 2015, but since then, the company has filed a lawsuit against the former employee alleging an NDA breach.
