Noam Chomsky's wife says he was 'ensnared' and 'manipulated' by Epstein

The wife of left-wing American intellectual Noam Chomsky has said he was encircled and ensnared by the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Files released by the US Department of Justice revealed last week that Chomsky, now 97, advised the disgraced financier in February 2019 - just months before Epstein was found dead in a New York prison cell - on how to respond to "the horrible way you are being treated in the press and public".

The renowned linguist and philosopher advised Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor, to "ignore" the criticism.

Chomsky added: "That’s particularly true now with the hysteria that has developed about abuse of women, which has reached the point that even questioning a charge is a crime worse than murder."

The files also revealed that, in 2016, Chomsky told Epstein he was "fantasising about the Caribbean island" and asked to meet Steve Bannon, the White House's former chief strategist.

On Saturday night, the academic's wife, Valeria Wasserman, said he was "confronting significant health challenges after suffering a devastating stroke in June 2023". She added that he was "under 24/7 medical care and is completely unable to speak or engage in public discourse".

She explained: "Noam and I were introduced to Epstein at the same time, during one of Noam’s professional events in 2015, when Epstein’s 2008 conviction in the State of Florida was known by very few people, while most of the public - including Noam and I - was unaware of it. That only changed after the November 2018 report by Miami Herald.

"When we were introduced to Epstein, he presented himself as a philanthropist of science and a financial expert. By presenting himself this way, Epstein gained Noam’s attention, and they began corresponding. Unknowingly, we opened a door to a Trojan horse."

'A strategy to ensnare us'

Wasserman said that "Epstein began to encircle Noam, sending gifts and creating opportunities for interesting discussions in areas Noam has been working on extensively. We regret that we did not perceive this as a strategy to ensnare us and to try to undermine the causes Noam stands for".

Chomsky had previously suggested he had primarily financial dealings with Epstein.

But in 2016, Epstein wrote to Chomsky: "Enjoyed… [as] always. Come to New York or Caribbean? Enjoy the food."

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Chomsky replied: "We did too, very much." He added: "Valeria’s always keen on New York. I’m really fantasizing about the Caribbean island."

It remains unclear whether Chomsky was referring to Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, where young women and underage girls were sexually abused.

Wasserman said on Saturday night: "We had lunch, at Epstein’s ranch, once, in connection with a professional event; we attended dinners at his townhouse in Manhattan and stayed a few times in an apartment he offered when we visited New York City.

"We also visited Epstein’s Paris apartment one afternoon for the occasion of a work trip. In all cases, these visits were related to Noam’s professional commitments. We never went to his island or knew about anything that happened there."

She added: "We never witnessed any inappropriate, criminal, or reproachable behaviour from Epstein or others. At no time did we see children or underage individuals present."

'Epstein created a manipulative narrative'

In 2017, a former Epstein girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, emailed an unidentified person - whose name was redacted in the released files - saying she wanted to send Chomsky and his wife two genetic testing kits. 

In 2018, Chomsky emailed Bannon and told him that Epstein "gave me your address". He expressed regret for "having missed you the other night" and wrote: "Hope that we can arrange something else before too long. Lots to talk about".

Bannon replied: "Agree. Would love to connect."

Wasserman insisted her husband's 2019 email advising Epstein on how to respond to press criticism came after "Epstein created a manipulative narrative about his case, which Noam, in good faith, believed in".

She also said that "Epstein asked Noam to develop a linguistic challenge that Epstein wished to establish as a regular prize. Noam worked on it, and Epstein sent a check for US$20,000 as payment".

Chomsky, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has published more than 120 books, including scathing critiques of US foreign policy.

Wasserman said: "Only after Epstein’s second arrest in 2019 did we learn the full extent and gravity of what were then accusations - and are now confirmed - heinous crimes against women and children.

She added: "Noam and I recognize the gravity of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and the profound suffering of his victims. Nothing in this statement is intended to minimize that suffering, and we express our unrestricted solidarity with the victims."