Valeria Wasserman Chomsky is a Brazilian translator best known publicly as the wife of linguist, philosopher, and political writer Noam Chomsky. While much of the attention around her comes from her marriage to one of the most influential intellectual figures of the modern era, Wasserman has her own documented professional background as a translator of scholarly works between Portuguese and English.
Her public profile expanded further because of her role in Chomsky’s later life, including his recovery after a serious stroke in 2023 and her public statements addressing false reports about his death in 2024. In 2026, she also became the subject of renewed attention after addressing the couple’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein, a matter she discussed in a public statement.
Who is Valeria Wasserman Chomsky?
Valeria Wasserman Chomsky is a Brazilian translator and the second wife of Noam Chomsky. The couple married in 2014, and they have maintained a connection to Brazil, where they have lived for extended periods.
Unlike many online profiles that focus almost entirely on her relationship with Chomsky, Wasserman has an independently verifiable professional record. Academic publications from the University of São Paulo and SciELO identify her as a translator involved in scholarly works covering topics such as religion, environmental issues, and academic institutions.
Her exact birth date and many details of her early personal life are not reliably documented in authoritative sources. Although some websites repeat specific claims about her age, education, and earlier employment, those details are not consistently supported by primary records.
Valeria Wasserman’s translation career
Wasserman’s most clearly documented work is her career as a translator.
A 2012 issue of the University of São Paulo journal Estudos Avançados credits Valéria Wasserman with translating David Lehmann’s “Hope and Religion” into Portuguese. The same academic publication series also credits her with translating Dianne Newell’s work on the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies.
Her translation work has also appeared in SciELO publications. A translated version of Roberto Varjabedian’s research on Brazil’s Atlantic Forest lists Cary Wasserman and Valéria Wasserman as translators.
These records show that her work has involved academic translation rather than simply a role connected to her husband’s public career.
Marriage to Noam Chomsky
Valeria Wasserman married Noam Chomsky in 2014, several years after the death of Chomsky’s first wife, Carol Doris Schatz, in 2008.
In a 2015 interview with Democracy Now!, Chomsky discussed his marriage to Wasserman and described their relationship as a significant and unexpected change in his personal life. He mentioned plans to travel to Brazil to spend time with her family.
The couple’s relationship also became connected to Chomsky’s academic transition later in life. In 2018, the University of Arizona published a profile about Chomsky joining its faculty and noted that previous visits by Chomsky and Wasserman helped shape their connection to Tucson and the university community.
Her role in Chomsky’s later public life
Wasserman became more visible internationally after Chomsky suffered a major stroke in June 2023.
Following the stroke, she provided updates about his recovery while he received treatment in Brazil. In June 2024, false reports circulated claiming that Chomsky had died. Wasserman told the Associated Press that those reports were incorrect, and the hospital confirmed that he had been discharged to continue recovery at home.
News coverage also highlighted the couple’s connection to Brazil. Reuters reported in June 2024 that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited Chomsky at his São Paulo home and identified Wasserman as his Brazilian wife.
Her public role during this period was primarily as a source of verified information about Chomsky’s condition and circumstances.
Valeria Wasserman and the Jeffrey Epstein controversy
In 2026, Wasserman’s name received renewed attention because of reporting about Noam Chomsky’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein.
On February 7, 2026, Wasserman released a statement addressing the couple’s interactions with Epstein. According to reporting by the Associated Press, she acknowledged what she described as “serious errors in judgment,” said that neither she nor Chomsky witnessed inappropriate conduct, and expressed support for Epstein’s victims.
Her statement focused on regret over failing to investigate Epstein’s background more carefully. Reports about the matter followed the release of additional records and renewed public scrutiny of Epstein’s relationships with prominent individuals.
The available information should be understood carefully: Wasserman’s statement represents her account of events and her perspective. Claims about what individuals knew, intended, or understood at the time require separate evidence and should not be treated as established fact without documentation.
What is known — and not known — about her personal life
Despite widespread online interest, many details about Wasserman remain private.
Several biography websites repeat claims about her birth year, education, previous employment, and personal background, but many of these details lack confirmation from reliable sources. Her documented public identity is centered on three areas:
– Her work as a translator of academic material.
– Her marriage to Noam Chomsky.
– Her public role during significant events involving Chomsky’s health and public reputation.
Information about her private finances, personal habits, family background, and other biographical details has not been reliably established and should not be presented as fact.
Final thoughts
Valeria Wasserman Chomsky is best understood as more than a figure known only through her marriage to Noam Chomsky. She is a Brazilian translator with documented academic translation work who became more publicly visible because of her relationship with one of the world’s most recognized intellectuals and her role during major moments in his later life.
While public interest in her has increased because of Chomsky’s health and the 2026 Epstein-related discussion, the most reliable portrait remains grounded in what can be verified: her translation career, her marriage, her connection to Brazil, and her carefully documented public statements.
