Valeria Wasserman: The Woman Behind Noam Chomsky’s Epstein Statement

You’ve probably heard Noam Chomsky’s name pop up in the Epstein files. What gets less attention is the woman who spoke publicly about it on his behalf. Her name is Valeria Wasserman, and since her husband’s 2023 stroke, she has become his voice, his caretaker, and now the person answering for a relationship neither of them anticipated would define the final chapter of his public life.

This article covers who Valeria Wasserman is, how she became connected to Chomsky, what she has said about Jeffrey Epstein, and why her statement carries so much weight in a story that touches one of the most influential intellectuals of the last century.

Who Is Valeria Wasserman?

Valeria Wasserman is a Brazilian translator and linguist, born in 1963. She built her early career across law, finance, and publishing before settling into translation work. She studied law at the Universidade Federal Fluminense and languages at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, later completing a capital markets program at the University of São Paulo.

Her professional path took several turns. She worked as an investment analyst at the Brazilian bank Unibanco, then moved through legal assistant roles before shifting toward publishing and translation in the early 2000s. Since 2009, she has worked as a translator with ArtVentures Cultural Projects and Translations, handling academic and cultural texts that move between Portuguese and English.

A Private Life, By Design

People who have worked with her describe someone who prefers substance over attention. Even after marrying one of the world’s most cited living authors, she kept her own career and stayed out of interviews and public events for the better part of a decade. That changed only when circumstances forced her into the spotlight.

How Valeria Wasserman and Noam Chomsky Became a Couple

Chomsky married Wasserman in 2014, six years after the death of his first wife, Carol Chomsky, with whom he had three children. The couple split time between the United States and Brazil before settling more permanently in São Paulo, Wasserman’s home city, around 2015. The age gap between them is significant. Chomsky was born in 1928, which puts him roughly 35 years older than his wife.

Beyond the basic timeline, the two have kept most personal details away from the press. What is well documented is that their household, and eventually their finances, became entangled with a man who would later be revealed as one of the most notorious sex offenders in modern American history: Jeffrey Epstein.

What Did Valeria Wasserman Say About Jeffrey Epstein?

In February 2026, following the Department of Justice’s release of a large batch of Epstein-related documents, Wasserman shared a detailed written statement with the Associated Press and other outlets. In it, she acknowledged “serious errors in judgment” and said she and Chomsky recognise “the gravity of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and the profound suffering of his victims,” adding that they extend their solidarity to those Epstein harmed.

According to her account, she and Chomsky first met Epstein in 2015, several years after his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. She said they were not fully aware at the time of how serious that history was, despite it having already been the subject of substantial news coverage. The newly released files also show the couple staying at Epstein’s properties, including his Manhattan townhouse and his New Mexico ranch, and taking part in gatherings that Epstein hosted for academics and writers.

The 2019 Advice Email

The most consequential document in the release is a February 2019 email exchange, sent not long after a Miami Herald investigation reignited public attention on Epstein’s original case. In it, Chomsky told Epstein that the backlash was driven partly by what he called hysteria around allegations of abuse, and advised him to largely ignore the criticism rather than respond publicly.

Wasserman has asked the public to read that message in context. She said Epstein presented himself to Chomsky as a victim of unfair media treatment, and that Chomsky, drawing on his own decades of experience being attacked in political debates, responded in good faith to what he believed was a similar situation. She was careful to add that Chomsky’s comment was not aimed at survivors of abuse or at the broader movement against gender-based violence, pointing out that he has a long record of supporting women’s rights.

Inside Wasserman’s Full Statement

Wasserman’s statement goes further than a general apology. She laid out several specific points to explain the relationship and to push back on the idea that the couple knowingly enabled Epstein.

• They first met Epstein in 2015 and stayed in occasional contact until his 2019 arrest.
• They visited Epstein’s properties in New York and New Mexico and took part in academic gatherings he arranged.
• The couple carried out two financial transactions with Epstein, which she said were tied to retirement savings and a dispute over her late predecessor’s estate, not an investment relationship.
• They only understood the full scope of the accusations against Epstein after his second arrest in July 2019.
• Chomsky’s February 2019 comments about media coverage were meant as a broader critique of how he felt public figures get treated, not a defense of Epstein’s conduct.

She also described Epstein as someone who built what she called a manipulative narrative around his own case, one that Chomsky, known throughout his career for taking people at their word and engaging with anyone who reached out to him, accepted without applying the scrutiny he was famous for bringing to institutions and governments.

Why Valeria Wasserman Now Speaks for Her Husband

Chomsky suffered a major stroke in June 2023 and was flown to São Paulo for treatment. The stroke left him unable to walk, speak, or write, and he has remained under close medical care since, first in the hospital and then at home after his discharge in mid-2024. Wasserman has managed his recovery and become the only person authorized to speak publicly on his behalf.

That role puts her in an unusual position. She is not simply defending her own conduct. She is interpreting and explaining decisions her husband made and can no longer explain himself, at a moment when his reputation as a lifelong critic of powerful institutions is being tested by his own past choices.

Timeline: Chomsky, Wasserman, and Epstein

Why This Story Matters Beyond One Marriage

Chomsky spent his career questioning how power protects itself and how public figures avoid accountability. His connection to Epstein, however limited, sits uncomfortably against that legacy. Several longtime collaborators, including writer Vijay Prashad, have publicly said they were disturbed by the friendship once the full extent of the emails came out.

Wasserman’s statement does not try to erase that tension. Instead, it asks readers to weigh a specific set of facts: a relationship that began years after Epstein’s initial conviction, a period of genuine ignorance about the scale of his crimes, and a husband who, by his wife’s own account, extended trust to the wrong person at the wrong time. Whether that reads as a reasonable explanation or an inadequate one is something each reader will judge for themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Valeria Wasserman?

She is a Brazilian translator and linguist who married Noam Chomsky in 2014 and has served as his caretaker and public spokesperson since his 2023 stroke.

What did Valeria Wasserman say about Jeffrey Epstein?

In a February 2026 statement, she acknowledged the couple’s relationship with Epstein, apologised to his victims, and explained the context behind a 2019 email in which Chomsky advised Epstein on handling media scrutiny.

Is Noam Chomsky still alive?

Yes. As of the most recent public updates, Chomsky remains alive and continues his recovery at home in São Paulo, though he is unable to speak or write following his 2023 stroke.

How did Chomsky and Epstein know each other?

The two were introduced in 2015 and maintained occasional contact, including social visits and email correspondence, until Epstein’s 2019 arrest.

Did Valeria Wasserman face any legal consequences?

No. She has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Her public statement was voluntary and aimed at addressing questions raised by the released files.