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. But before the wedding can happen, Benita makes a discovery that may prove the doctor is not all he claims to be. They had already decided to marry in Italy, where Macchiarini wanted a Catholic wedding despite rules against remarriages. And that was the moment I just thought, oh, I'm, I'm falling for this man, you know, and I just, I just sort of melted into his arms. And I was, I was really moved by that. Macchiarini ran into some legal trouble regarding his stem cell treatments with Swedish prosecutors recently appealing a sentence given to the Italian surgeon, the Associated Press reported. 5. [00:15:45] Benita: There was a particular moment when my ex-husband had gone into a coma, and I was in Illinois, and I was, I was um, very upset about everything and trying to figure out a way, I was talking to Paolo about trying to figure out what to do and how to say goodbye, and uh crying about the fact that I hadn't been able to say goodbye. Claiming he was in demand. 5 Journalist Benita Alexander (right) has. She is currently the voice of the true crime series "Still A Mystery" on Investigation Discovery, and she has narrated four seasons of this ongoing, multi part show. This was worldwide. Benita Alexander grew up like a regular American kid. And she was Daddy's Little Girl. She is honestly proud of how far she has come (as she should be), and its evident shell never let anything or anyone take this journey/narrative away from her. He was listed as one of . I mean it was, I felt butterflies, you know. With a purported VIP list of friends and clients that included former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Russian president Vladimir Putin and entertainment icons such as Elton John, their wedding was expected to be one of the biggest events of the year. Benita Alexander, and swept her off her feet with a marriage proposal and promises of a wedding . It has led to extensive reform work internally at KI in order to improve and clarify a number of regulations and routines.". This very personal film, which Benita narrates herself, documents how her fairytale romance with a world-renowned surgeon turns into a nightmare. You know he; he was sort of like Mr. "We had to clear her throat basically every four to six hours, sort of 24 hours, seven days a week," said Oscar Simonson, a cardiothoracic surgeon who worked at the Karolinska Institute and its affiliated hospital at the time. Benita Alexander has been married twice. "That's when he told me that there was this kind of clandestine network [of doctors] who are on call, basically, for these people.'". After she called Macchiarini, furious about what she'd read, she began to wonder what else he might have lied about. ", Heartbroken, Alexander continued to discover more of Macchiarini's lies in the ensuing months. We have somebody who has been brave enough to share something thats already humiliating and devastating. And uh I decided to, to take his favorite flowers, birds of--, bird of paradise, and I ended up going to a flower shop and getting three birds of paradise; one for me, my, one for my daughter, and one for John, and Paolo um, loved motorcycles, and we had been shooting him on a motorcycle. After doing some digging, it transpired that Macchiarini was not the medical genius she thought he was. And so it was kind of the perfect case for us to focus our story around. She said Macchiarini had told her that for their wedding, the Vatican had offered them the pope's summer residence in the Italian town of Castel Gandolfo. Alexander felt compelled to cancel the wedding, yet while she tried to figure out the extent to which Macchiarini had lied, she said she let him think they would still marry one day. [00:38:37] Bob: But even without asking any questions, one thing is clear, this wedding is going to be big. I was, I was conflicted about it. Cetir came to Macchiarini's attention after undergoing an elective procedure to correct a condition that caused excessive sweating. She is currently the voice of the true crime series "Still A Mystery" on Investigation Discovery, and she has narrated four seasons of this ongoing, multi part show. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. That's pretty unusual too. Alexander was working on a documentary about Macchiarini's success in the medical field. He speaks 5 or 6 languages, and he works all over the world, and you know, dresses very beautifully. Her first marriage was to fellow journalist John Noel. "The headline is that it started out as a beautiful love story and it ended up as a total nightmare," said Benita. 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. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. Paolo says to me, "I want to take over the wedding planning and I want to surprise you with everything. Um, which is just something I never thought I would do, you know. In fact, we both worked for NBC in New York at the same time, but we didn't know each other then. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. The couple had the wedding planned for July 2015. His work, if controversial, is also groundbreaking. "It said that he had a normal functioning airway," Corbascio said. 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. Be sure to find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. [00:05:44] Benita: Yeah, I mean the, we wanted to do a story about this field called regenerative medicine which added base core, the most simplistic way to define this is, it's sort of sci-fi, futuristic medicine where the, the goal is to be able to create body parts or organs in the lab, man-made. As a journalist, Alexander knew she couldn't get involved with the subject of her story. It's a very aggressive form of brain cancer. 5. 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. I don't want you to do anything except find your dresses and just, all you have to do is show up and look beautiful. "Then he said he had connections to the Vatican. A presence. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. However, while filming with Macchiarini, Alexander's ex-husband, the father of her young daughter, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. But as the wedding planning continued, Alexander's fianc became increasingly embroiled in work-related issues. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos and shows Alexanders search for the truth after such a shocking betrayal of the heart. But the former NBC News producer would come to find out the hard way that even the most glamorous and convincing of appearances can be deceiving. This is totally different. But there was something, yeah, something happened between us the, the moment we met. Paolo Macchiarini (born 22 August 1958): 2 is a Swiss-born Italian thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher who became known for research fraud and manipulative behavior. again. I didn't even, I, I, I stopped in hesitation. Macchiarini has not yet entered a plea, but has denied all of the charges. I found him very um, hmm, he had a presence about him. Maybe help me, help with the invitations 'cause I don't want to deal with that. But Bo at the time had no idea who it was. If you want to tell somebody's story well, it, it helps if you can really tell it from their perspective. [00:31:56] Bob: Benita sees a dress made by Christopher in a New York City store, but it isn't quite right. This was holy cow. [00:17:51] Bob: Their relationship blossoms quickly. I'll take care of it." And he was putting artificial tracheas, the windpipe, into patients. Short Press Reel. I mean, and we didn't know what to do. Um, and so he had, we were coming back into the room after dinner one night, and I was kind of teasing him. Before their wedding, the couple visited Italy, where Alexander asked Macchiarini to show her where their wedding celebrations would take place. 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. Yeah. And so does anyone who has anything to do with the wedding. She found out exactly what hed lied about - and she said it was extensive. For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. And as they ride the motorcycle away from the river, the magic carpet ride takes off. The procedure uses the framework of a plastic tube lined with the patient's stem cells and is intended to help them replicate into a healthy version of the failing organ. 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. I was so career-driven, and so career-oriented, but I was madly in love. And so I thought, okay, maybe its not as crazy as it, as it sounds. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. Benita graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University in Michigan, with a B.A in journalism. Ole Petter Ottersen, president of the Karolinska Institute since 2017, told ABC News in a request for comment on Macchiarini, "It is obvious that KI's initial handling of this case was insufficient and inadequate on several points. Benita now uses her personal story of survival and resilience to help other women who have been love conned find the road to recovery. She couldn't run around and play. Alexander was working on a documentary about Macchiarinis success in the medical field. Yeah. And I literally, I was really like, what? It was, it was really, really difficult. But unfortunately, her personal life has been marred by a turbulent childhood in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and a series of unsuccessful relationships. [00:41:50] Benita: The day after I quit my job, I got an email from a colleague and the headline just said, "The Pope." And these were all couples that were quote-unquote living in sin, you know, they had children out of wedlock, or whatever. [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. Yeah. Star Benita Alexander-Noel See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 12 User reviews Photos Add photo Thats what I have the power to do now. And I was ready to ride off into the sunset, into this new life in Barcelona, and but it was also a very, very difficult decision for me. And Paolo never talks about his personal life. And whatever that is, let's, let's push that away, you know. [00:09:18] Benita: Yeah, so we, we started focusing our story around Hannah and her family, and Hannah was actually, she was going to be the youngest person in the world to ever get one of his experimental transplants; the first toddler, and also the first patient to be operated on in the United States. [00:04:24] Benita: Right, yeah, and they're not always happy endings, and you do, you, unfortunately, you know, you report on a lot of very, very difficult things in news. She said she'd never fantasized about a "Prince Charming." View our online Press Pack. It does so much unnecessary damage. 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! 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. And each surprise was a bigger wow factor than the last one. Um, I almost actually passed out. He is one of the world's leading cardio thoracic surgeons. "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. Um, made dinner, and did all this, and then we were discussing and showing fabrications and doing sketching and then like, you know, where were we going to begin? Benita Alexander and Paolo Macchiarini fall in love Alexander, an award-winning documentary TV producer, met Macchiarini in 2013 while working on a story about the surgeon's pioneering work. 5. In September 2020, Swedish prosecutors announced charges against Macchiarini for aggravated assault in connection to three surgeries that he had performed at the Karolinska University Hospital, including Cetir's. Every time he took me on a trip, he just delighted in these, these big, over the top, elaborate surprises. After relocating to New York, Benita worked for NBC and was featured in NBC's documentary "A Leap of Faith" in 2013. I think he needs to be behind bars. She was taking an incredible risk by getting involved with Paolo. "She was having problems with infections so, at that point, she came into contact with Dr. 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. It really affects you. [00:08:14] Benita: But we, we started looking into him, and then he was about to do a transplant on this beautiful, beautiful little toddler, um, her name was Hannah, from Seoul, South Korea. I was just kind of like, um, 'cause Benita's so awesome and like, you know she was totally in love with him. The Perfect ScamSMis a project of theAARP Fraud Watch Network, which equips consumers like you with the knowledge to give you power over scams. It started with Andrea Bocelli was going to be singing in the church, because Paolo told me that his mother and Bocellis mother were friends. [00:18:58] Bob: I love you in rose petals on the bed. And it's a beautiful building, and it just has this feeling about it, you know, as you, it's a very special feeling too. He was giving people who had no other hope. 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." 5 Journalist Benita Alexander (right) has revealed chilling clues that disclosed her lover and famed surgeon Paolo Macchiarini as a "romance scammer" Credit: Instagram / loveconned 5 After Cetir's surgery, doctors say she had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. He gave me really sage, solid, kind advice.". Um, you know, they come in and I'd say, "Welcome to your closet." Among the high-powered clients who Macchiarini claimed were on this network were the Clintons, the Obamas and even Pope Francis. [00:25:49] Bob: But, and this made him a fun interview, he doesn't mind debating his controversial techniques. "I went full on into investigator mode as I knew he wouldnt tell me the truth," Benita said. "I couldn't fall apart because I am a single mother with a daughter who needs me. With the celebrations set to last four days, Alexander had her dress designer make four different gowns. He had told her, as personal surgeon to the Pope, the leader of the Catholic church wanted to marry the couple, she explained. This is a surgeon. I, I had just, in that moment I didn't have the information yet, but I just knew he was lying about everything. Benita Alexander has been working as a Macchiarini at NBC News. She said she called the castle where all the guests were supposed to be staying and asked them about the reservation, which they didn't have. [00:25:22] Bob: And while Paolo loves to talk about his work, he isn't always charming. These were made in a lab out of the very same plastic that a soda bottle is made out of, and then he would bathe this in the patient's own stem cells in something called a bioreactor, and then transplant that, this plastic windpipe into people. In fact, the scientist was embroiled in lawsuits and accusations at work. [00:37:05] Benita: Everything was very, very secretive, and because the Pope was doing this, um, and Paolo told me that the Vatican would not even announce it until the day of our wedding so that the news didn't leak out. And I also had my beard uh, uh, cut there. "The woman in Barcelona was not his wife. He is Italian. [00:06:46] Benita: And he was, as I said, called the super surgeon, and he was the pioneer in this field. She later tied the knot with a ballroom instructor Edson Jeune in 2012, yet even that didnt work out. Benita Alexander thought she had found her modern day Prince Charming. to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Emmy Award Winning . And we first met in early 2013. I, I thought it was ridiculous. [00:36:55] Bob: Benita, the TV producer, is very used to managing all the details of a big event. [00:36:00] Matthew Christopher: On Valentine's Day, I met him. 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. And the stem cells were supposed to magically integrate, and he was fixing people. So it was uh, quite, quite in--, incredible or remarkable to, for those words to come out of her mouth. [00:02:31] Benita: Yeah, right! He proposed to Alexander on Christmas in 2013 and she said yes. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Macchiarini denied the accusations coming from his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute to Alexander, and she doubled down on supporting Macchiarini. Star-Studded Wedding Becomes Brides Worst Nightmare, Part 1, Journalist exposes her celebrity fianc, part 2, Computer hacker drains couple's life savings. [00:42:33] Bob: When Benita comes to her senses, she switches back into investigative reporter mode, and decides to find out the real truth behind Paolo. You know, "What did he do this time? And so that meant me quitting my job at NBC and leaving New York and pulling my daughter out of her very difficult to get into private school in New York. . Journalist Benita Alexander is swept off her feet by a dashing Italian doctor, Paolo Macchiarini, while filming a documentary about his miraculous surgeries. [00:17:24] Bob: He was there when she needed somebody. Megan Hilty on the Tony's, like she got best dress, or Debra Messing, or you know, Carli Lloyd, like the whole soccer team coming in, I'm dressing Carli Lloyd for all these, for the ESPYs, and, you know, all these amazing people that I've dressed over the years, even the Oscars and I'm, I mean it's going wow, I made it to where I love what I do. ", "As devastated as I was and as much as I wanted to crawl under the covers and hide and stay there, I knew I couldn't fall apart," she said. And when we went to Boston to interview Dr. Macchiarini, when he came in, it was um, I was with a colleague, and he, he came into this bar where we had arranged to have a coffee with him just to say hello the night before the interview, and you know there's, he's a very charming, good-looking man. The latter refers to his misconduct that led to the deaths of several patients. He seemed that way in his work as well, but here he is talking to me and spending all this time listening to me and seemed very vested in this little girl that he had never met. And, and then he would tell me the priest won't marry us, and this went on and on and on. But everything else, I'm planning everything, and you can't ask me any questions.". ABCs The Con is a true-crime documentary series that unveils the curtain on the people behind some of the most atrocious scams in recent times. ", Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, What is graupel? In the most recent development, she narrated her story on ABC's The Con, so that more people can be made aware of such practices. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. I didn't know what to think. related to AARP volunteering. [00:41:47] Bob: But not as scary as what happens next. We were sitting together on the, on the plane, and I just sort of started pouring my heart out to him, and he was a very good friend. And then John Legend was supposed to be playing piano in the church. I was like why, why are you videotaping me again. I just, I felt like somebody punched me in the stomach. In February, 2021 it was featured as a two-hour special on ABCs 20/20. 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