There's so much she couldn't do, but she had this sparkling personality. And I think I was even blushing. And each surprise was a bigger wow factor than the last one. Before their wedding, the couple visited Italy, where Alexander asked Macchiarini to show her where their wedding celebrations would take place. I loved everything about it, and to be sort of plunging into the unknown, even though I felt very secure with Paolo, happily in love. [00:25:58] Bo Lindquist: I think he liked the challenge. [00:21:08] Bob: Benita is proud of her work and happy with her husband-to-be, excited to put the finishing touches on Hannah's medical miracle story, but before the piece airs, the story takes a dark turn. She couldn't eat. When Benita Alexander eventually realized her whole relationship with Dr. Paolo Macchiarini was nothing short of a scam, she decided she wanted the world to know the truth about him. Um, you know, they come in and I'd say, "Welcome to your closet." And he said, you know, I actually met with Pope Francis. And I went, What? You know and he said, And I, I have great news. Um, Hes, hes going to help us um, were going to have somebody that will marry us, and he offered to do it himself. You know I said, What? You know, and I actually kind of called BS on him because I, I said, Thats absurd. [00:23:14] Bo Lindquist: And then we traveled to different places. He was giving people who had no other hope. (Pasadena, Calif.) - This Valentine's Day, Investigation Discovery (ID) presents a love story gone wrong with HE LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING, the astonishing true tale of the love affair between award-winning investigative news producer Benita Alexander, and the brilliant, world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini.What started as a picture-perfect dream relationship between two people at the . After a few days there, she traveled to Macchiarini's home in Barcelona, Spain, with some friends who came along for support. And so it was kind of the perfect case for us to focus our story around. I'm, you know, I like, I like information. The couple shares a daughter named Jessina, born in 2003. Her multiple awards include: Edward R. Murrow, 2 Emmys, 7 Emmy nominations, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia, NABJ and Sigma Delta Chi. NBC News is pulling "A Leap of Faith" Meredith Vieira's documentary on controversial . You are no longer 21 !!! "I put it all in a message. And Hillary Clinton got involved, different people in Congress got involved, but ultimately, after many trips back and forth to Brazil and a lot of emotion, he got his son home. [00:06:37] Bob: Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, he's doing surgeries that most doctors could only dream about. Just like, oh, the dance dress was crazy. I mean not, not physically, but he could be quite uh frightening actually when he got angry. Their trained fraud specialists can provide you with free support and guidance on what to do next. We had, we had a very good relationship still when it came to our daughter and sharing custody and you know, both of us were very focused on our daughter. [00:19:03] Benita: (laugh) Yeah, yep, yeah. ET. Thank you to our team of scambusters; Executive Producer, Julie Getz; Researcher, Haley Nelson; Associate Producer, Annalea Embree; and of course, our Audio Engineer, Julio Gonzalez. And I, I think at least that it makes me a better writer and a better journalist. A presence. Kind of like being in a fairy tale, you know. But despite his seemingly busy schedule, Alexander said Macchiarini offered to plan their wedding. TV & Film Producer, Director, Writer, Correspondent, Narrator. In mid-2013, they became a couple and in December that year they became pre-engaged as Macchiarini, who lived in Barcelona, Spain, said he was still legally married with two children but had been separated for a long time and was filing for divorce. [00:25:56] Bob: How did he take to being questioned? And he came to visit us in Australia, and I was just, I was only 8, but I was ab--, absolutely infatuated with what he was doing and asked him all these questions. And Paolo had said to me, "You, you need to find a way to say good-bye to him," and he said, "I'll help you." The group eventually grew into four doctors, who compared the journal reports Macchiarini had published about his procedure -- all of which reported relatively positive results -- to the actual medical records of those patients. "It said that he had a normal functioning airway," Corbascio said. And it's presented to me by Paolo, it's not even about our wedding or about our love story. I was there for about 20 minutes, and I, I tossed these flowers into the water, and I was, you know, very emotional in saying goodbye to John. Benita and Macchiarini's wild relationship was featured in a special episode of ABC's 20/20 on Friday. Um, (laugh) I was uh, in my 40s. NEW YORK Dr Paolo Macchiarini, He Lied About Everything with Benita Alexander Armchair MBA 18K subscribers Join Subscribe 1.5K Share Save 128K views 2 years ago I chat with Benita Alexander. Macchiarini took Alexander to several romantic getaways in Europe. It basically was, we've been asked to do this, and by virtue of being my fianc, because I'm this famous doctor, I feel that this is something we should do. But Macchiarini showered her in flowers and jewelry. Are you new to podcasts? "He comes around the corner, he looks right at me and in that second something happened. Benita Alexander has been married twice. The 56-year-old actually has a podcast appropriately titled Benita & the Berracas for the same, and she continues to be an active advocate on the matter. People could be dying because of this man, and therefore, I couldn't stay silent, I couldn't crawl under the covers. Free online workshop! None of the promises Alexander said her fianc Paolo Macchiarini had made for their wedding day would come true. And we first met in early 2013. "I talked to my editors and we started thinking, 'Well, let's just keep pulling on this thread. She soon discovered that as she lived an apparent fairy tale romance -- with someone who not only seemed to care for her and her daughter but also lavished her with expensive gifts and trips -- others were already searching for the truth about Macchiarini. I don't know if I was nervous. ", Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, What is graupel? And somehow, when I read that email, I guess all those little red flags that I had been ignoring, the things that were eating at my gut, I just knew. [00:31:09] Matthew Christopher: Um, a couture wedding gown designer is someone that actually design gowns from beginning to end, whether that's draping, whether that's sketching; couture means it's handmade. We need to be pointing the finger at the con man.. Anyone that knows anything about private schools in New York knows how hard that is. Well actually, dresses. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. And spent months, you know, this did not happen overnight. And a very, very good listener and was giving me very wise, sage advice, you know, about all these questions; what to tell her, how to tell her, and I was sort of soaking it all up, and I was very touched by the fact that this man seemed so incredibly altruistic. The way he used stem cells with his plastic tracheas would eventually develop into something quite extraordinary where you could use stem cells to target organs or other areas of the body where the, where there was a medical problem. Alexander hired a private investigator to investigate all the secrets and lies about Macchiarini. You know the, the invitations talked about needing a password, a secret password to get into the wedding, and you couldn't get in unless you had the invitation with you. He is one of the world's leading cardio thoracic surgeons. I was so career-driven, and so career-oriented, but I was madly in love. Prior to this, Benita spent 17 years in network television, producing long-form documentaries, breaking news, investigations, specials and hard news features for NBC. [00:31:35] Matthew Christopher: Yeah, it is a special process. Her film "He Lied About Everything," about her own personal story with a con man, aired on Investigation Discovery in 2018 and continues to air around the world. Alexander was working on a documentary about Macchiarinis success in the medical field. I literally felt like I was floating on clouds. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. Which sounds a bit absurd, however, he is an Italian surgeon. It was at this point that Benita said she started to feel that something was not right. Alexander, an award-winning documentary TV producer, met Macchiarini in 2013 while working on a story about the surgeon's pioneering work transplanting synthetic tracheas, or windpipes. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. [00:12:41] Bob: And you went forward with that weekend pushing the feeling aside, right? My daughter who, you know, has been through a lot. The article's author, journalist Adam Ciralsky, had also uncovered fabrications in Macchiarini's professional life, and he documented a number of examples of Macchiarini misrepresenting his medical training and work history. [00:31:32] Bob: I mean that sounds like a very special process. This story is extremely personal and difficult for me to share, but the journalist in me couldnt let it be, Alexander says in the release. You know, "What did he do this time? [00:21:22] Benita: Tragically, Hannah passed away, which was, um, just devastating. I loved my work at NBC. I was torn up about it, and my last day at NBC was in May of 2015. Benita Alexander is a strong, independent, intelligent, warm, and loving woman who thought she found her love connection with a man that swept her off her feet, much like prince charming! [00:34:35] Bob: The first step is working with Benita on ideas for the wedding dress. "From that moment on, it felt like my head was spinning," Alexander said, "and it didn't stop spinning.". In addition to her work at NBC, she was the Executive Producer of the Oxygen documentary, "Seduced by Evil," which premiered in 2019 and reveals how a group of women banded together to take down the man who stole everything from them. She said she'd never fantasized about a "Prince Charming." While Macchiarini continued to deny any wrongdoing, he lost his job at the Institute and Swedish prosecutors began looking into whether his behavior was criminal. You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. See production, box office & company info, Fatal Experiments: The Downfall of a Supersurgeon. Death podcast. "Paolo was a really good listener," Alexander said. Benita met and married a fellow reporter, John Noel, and moved with him to New York, where they welcomed their daughter in 2003. Alexander, who said she'd become close to the girl's family, was "devastated," and that Macchiarini was "depressed" about it, as they both had become attached to her. ", Alexander, who waited in the car, said that the last time she saw Macchiarini, he had turned around and walked back up the stairs. Benita is still wearing the second ring throughout the documentary! En Espanol And Paolo never talks about his personal life. [00:09:12] Bob: And so, Benita travels to Boston to meet the miracle worker for herself. And he had been fighting with her in the courts in Brazil over this, and then she passed away, unfortunately. The Korean girl that had undergone Macchiarini's procedure in Illinois, whose story Alexander had been sent to cover, had died in the time following the surgery. Hearings are expected to begin in 2022. [00:39:49] Matthew Christopher: Um, so Paolo was going to have a place where he came out, after he did something with the Pope, and he said he's going to give her this ring, and there were going to be fireworks and blah, blah, blah, but he was going to be handed off to her in this dress, right, for a reception, and the dress was going to come out with this tulle overskirt, and it was going to ripped off by Paolo, and it was going to have a dance gown underneath, like Dancing with the Stars. After Cetir's surgery, doctors say she had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications. I was like why, why are you videotaping me again. ET on ABC. In fact, the scientist was embroiled in lawsuits and accusations at work. This is a true you must see it to believe it tale, with so many twists and turns, it will leave viewers stunned, asking only how this could have actually happened, Schleiff says. "The outcry was such that the Karolinska Institute had to do something," said Ritchie. "He and I started going to dinners and I was kind of pouring my heart out to him about all this stuff. And so there was a lot of palpable excitement about this wedding, you know, people were really eager and excited for this wedding. People often tell me that afterwards, that, you know, I'm very hyper-focused and very no-nonsense, you know, all business. The two-part special He Lied About Everything premieres on ID on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 8 to 10 p.m. He proposed to Alexander on Christmas in 2013 and she said yes. Oh my God, um, confident. The scale . View this post on Instagram We just made sure we took care of Benita. Sought after worldwide, people believed Macchiarini would one day revolutionize the field of organ transplantation, journalist Bo Lindquist said. [00:39:32] Bob: And as the day approaches, Benita gets to try on that custom-made wedding dress. Mathias Corbascio, another cardiothoracic surgeon who worked at the Karolinska Institute at the time, said the intensive care unit doctor responsible for her care began consulting with him on the literature written by Macchiarini on tracheal replacements. [00:04:22] Bob: And you had a happy ending. Cetir came to Macchiarini's attention after undergoing an elective procedure to correct a condition that caused excessive sweating. What to tell her. But the biopsies showed the cells were dead and that there was actually fungi growing on the plastic, he said. Not, not that kind of just instant, immediate spark. And this is something very clandestine and secretive and he cant talk about, but hes been doing this for many years, and he is a celebrity surgeon to a number of famous people and celebrities, but that he cant talk about this because hes tied to people who want a private doctor who will attend to them but, you know, they have these private doctors, because they don't want anyone to know, you know, whats going on in their private life. I had tried, at one point I pushed him away, and we didn't see each other for about three months. Corbascio called the decision "absolutely insane.". He is Italian. And the stem cells were supposed to magically integrate, and he was fixing people. And these were all couples that were quote-unquote living in sin, you know, they had children out of wedlock, or whatever. But at this point, they're just questions. She was 100% Daddy's Little Girl, and he utterly adored her. Why don't you, can you just for once sit back and let somebody else take over, just let him, let him take it over." A successful TV journalist, the single mother-of-one was interviewing him for a report on cutting-edge medicine. And I had seen paperwork that he had done work at the Vatican, consulting work. I'm kind of a control, you know, right, I'm kind of a control freak. Benita Alexander has been working as a Macchiarini at NBC News. The couple divorced in 2009. The emotions of the moment overwhelm her. He says to me, "I want to take over the wedding planning and I want to surprise you with everything. I mean I'm going to achieve this; you know what I mean? She finds that story in South Korea. It really affects you. And so they got FDA approval for Paolo to do the surgery in Illinois, and they got him a special medical license to do the surgery in Illinois. Benita Alexander has been working as a Macchiarini at NBC News. With the preparations nearly finished, Benita decides to take maybe the toughest step she's ever taken in her 20-year career as a journalist. And I was really wrestling with all of it. And, and then he would tell me the priest won't marry us, and this went on and on and on. Every time he took me on a trip, he just delighted in these, these big, over the top, elaborate surprises. You know, it was awful for her family. He told her opera singer Andrea Bocelli would be singing in the church during their wedding and that John Legend would be playing the piano at their ceremony. Since her romance with Paolo imploded in 2015, the brunette beauty has continued working on documentaries and docuseries'. One name kept coming up over and over again, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini. And I also had my beard uh, uh, cut there. Benita has become a recognized love conned expert and along with speaking engagements, she is a regular guest correspondent on "The Dr. Oz Show." "As furious as it makes me what he did [to me and] my daughter, the thought that this is a man who has people's lives in his hands. A contact she had to the Clintons told her they'd never heard of Macchiarini. Then, two years later, her father, whod married a neighbor, asked her to pack up her bags and leave for good. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. By the time Alexander discovered these things about Macchiarini, she said she'd spent over $50,000 on wedding preparations and quit her job. I have to tell you, and I'm like, you know, I'm a very boisterous, fun guy, that's, you know, and very um, slap-happy fun, and I literally stopped in my tracks, and was like, "Huh?" And I said, "Well what are we going to do?" I had butterflies or something like some, some kind of electric spark went through my body, and I, my immediate thought was, what in the heck is that? Previously, Benita Alexander had created a documentary called He Lied About Everything, where she opened up about Paulo Macchiarini and how she got love conned by him. And Benita had a veil, and I brought over some dresses, and we were having some champagne, giggling and sketching, and it was so fun. And he's Italian, and he wanted this big Catholic wedding in Italy. [00:24:07] Bob: For many months, Paolo plays his cards very close to the vest as Bo starts asking questions about the patients Paolo has worked on. I want, I just want to get the job done. And I made it to this point. He has been convicted of research-related crimes in Italy and Sweden. The university even cited some of the whistleblowers, reprimanding them for their participation in some of Macchiarini's papers. And so I was sort of, by becoming involved with him and by falling in love with him, I was breaking this cardinal rule in journalism that you don't get involved with a subject of your story, and even though when we did fall in love, it was, we were at the end of the production of the story, we kept it quiet because of that. [00:36:07] Matthew Christopher: Confident, rico-suave, I am Paolo, ha-ha, and I'm like, okay, you know, I'm like am I nervous? "He [the Pope] wanted to use us as the poster couple for the Catholic church, to prove people who are divorced can get married in the Catholic church.". All Bo knew was that Paolo was very charming. [00:14:35] Benita: The thing about Paolo is he's a very good listener, and we, after a shoot sometimes, would go out to dinner, or we would be in a group of people talking. This is a surgeon. I want to focus on work. 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