benita alexander documentary

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. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. But as the wedding planning continued, Alexander's fianc became increasingly embroiled in work-related issues. And we rode for probably 30, 45 minutes until I sort of found a spot that I thought was appropriate, and I got off the bike and I went to the water. And spent months, you know, this did not happen overnight. Lindquist had begun his own investigation into the claims brought forth by Macchiarini's colleagues. 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. It was beyond Benita's wildest dreams - Macchiarini reportedly told her he invited Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Elton John, and that the Pope himself would oversee the ceremony. I want, I just want to get the job done. People often tell me that afterwards, that, you know, I'm very hyper-focused and very no-nonsense, you know, all business. But everything else, I'm planning everything, and you can't ask me any questions.". The true tale of the love affair between award-winning investigative producer Benita Alexander and world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. 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. 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. I had to understand what happened and why. 5 Journalist Benita Alexander (right) has. And right about then, across the Atlantic Ocean, Bo is about to find out the real truth about Paolo too. Some even believed he'd win a Nobel Prize one day, according to author Stuart Ritchie. He responded wow,'" Benita claimed. In 2013, she was featured in the NBC documentary "A Leap of Faith." She has won numerous awards for her work. [00:34:26] Matthew Christopher: You put your, I am going to make the most gorgeous dress you've ever seen. [00:10:23] Benita: Yeah, the thing about this was, I am, and I'm, I'm very serious when I work. "He said he was having trouble finding a priest to marry us," she said. The third season, called "Dr. Death: Miracle Man" includes 6 episodes, along with a bonus episode that is an interview with Benita by host Laura Beil. She did what she had to but never let it take over her life, which in turn helped her graduate magna cum laude from Wayne State University in 1987. Macchiarini remains married to Emanuela Pecchia, his wife of nearly 30 years. And so I thought, okay, maybe its not as crazy as it, as it sounds. And it's presented to me by Paolo, it's not even about our wedding or about our love story. I mean most 8-year-olds will change their minds, you know, many times, but I never changed. 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. I don't know what I was. 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. "It was the weirdest thing," Alexander said. "Then he said he had connections to the Vatican. [00:01:28] Benita: I grew up in Australia, and I had an uncle, my mother's brother, who worked for Radio Free Europe. ABC News reported that Macchiarini has never spoken publicly about his relationship with Benita. She started her career at a local news station before moving on to work at NBC in New York. I want him to look around that courtroom and see the families of the patients whose lives he destroyed, and see my face and at last be forced for whatever few seconds to look us all in the eye and maybe understand what he did," Alexander said. This was holy cow. Yeah. "When I started reading specifically the papers that Paolo himself had written, then we could quite quickly come to the conclusion that what was written in the papers was not what was going on in reality," Corbascio said. Benita Alexander has been working as a Macchiarini at NBC News. Well actually, dresses. [00:25:49] Bob: But, and this made him a fun interview, he doesn't mind debating his controversial techniques. The emotions of the moment overwhelm her. So he goes to the Vatican, ostensibly, to ask for help finding someone who will marry us, and he calls me after that meeting and says to me, tells me I need to sit down, um, he has good news, but I need to sit down. But when it comes to the wedding, Paolo takes the lead. [00:06:37] Bob: Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, he's doing surgeries that most doctors could only dream about. I was blissfully happy. With Whoopi Goldberg filling the narrators seat, the series kicks off with the story of Paolo Macchiarini, a former world-renowned thoracic surgeon now known for research fraud and his strange involvement with an unsuspecting producer by the name of Benita Alexander. Hosted by Benita Alexander. After doing some digging, it transpired that Macchiarini was not the medical genius she thought he was. [00:04:39] Benita: I think one of the things that can make you a good journalist if, is if you're able to put yourself in the other person's shoes, and if you're able to sympathize with them and empathize them and really try to understand what it is they're going through. Hundreds of Benita Alexander's friends and family had already bought their plane tickets to Italy to attend her extravagant wedding that was supposed to be officiated by the pope when it all came crashing down in a flurry of her fianc's deception. She reflected on their relationship and wondered how she could've missed all the red flags. She graduated magna cum laude from WSU with a degree in journalism in 1987. Capping off a whirlwind romance filled with gondola rides in Venice and quiet dinners in the Greek islands, she was promised a wedding in the Italian countryside officiated by the Pope himself. [00:36:51] Matthew Christopher: Yeah, yes, oh my gosh. And basically giving up everything. Her mother was Korean, and her dad, Canadian. 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. He also directed ABC News to a list of reforms the Institute was implementing in the wake of the scandal. 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. The two-part special details how Alexander, an award-winning investigative news producer, met Dr. Paolo Macchiarini while she was producing an NBC News special about the renowned surgeons work in the field of regenerative medicine. 5 People Vanished Along the Snake River Beginning in 1979: Will Police Finally Catch a Serial Killer? Um, you know, they come in and I'd say, "Welcome to your closet." You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. It does so much unnecessary damage. On your mark, get set, go. [00:00:03] He was incredibly generous, you know, and so romantic and just so wonderful. 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. A JOURNALIST revealed the chilling clue that disclosed her lover and famed surgeon as a "romance scammer.". There's so much she couldn't do, but she had this sparkling personality. [00:11:55] Bob: And how old were you then? And I think I was even blushing. [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. "The headline is that it started out as a beautiful love story and it ended up as a total nightmare," said Benita. "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.". So it was uh, quite, quite in--, incredible or remarkable to, for those words to come out of her mouth. Benita and Macchiarini's wild relationship was featured in a special episode of ABC's 20/20 on Friday. Best Known For For her appearance in ID Now (2017), Dateline NBC (1992) and Inside the Obama White House (2009). They became friends and over time she felt herself falling for him, despite her journalistic integrity impeding the romance. Then, just before New Year's Eve, he left the U.S., telling Alexander that he had a "really important surgery" to perform. In response to Gerdin's report, Macchiarini denied all the findings. 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. And he, so his reputation sort of proceeds him, but when he walked in to where we were sitting that day, he, when he walked in, he looked right at me, and our eyes met, and I've never in my life had something like this happen to me before, but I, I felt like a silly, little schoolgirl. The couple shares a daughter named Jessina, born in 2003. That was insane. [00:24:20] Bo Lindquist: When we made our initial agreement to, to start filming, he said that his uh, personal life would be out of bounds, and I mean a bit odd that, that we couldn't even talk about where he went to school or, or something like that, but why should we? Journalist Benita Alexander is swept off her feet by a dashing Italian doctor, Paolo Macchiarini, while filming a documentary about his miraculous surgeries. I said, I just, I can't do this. Of the eight patients given artificial tracheas by Macchiarini, only one is still alive today. Benita Alexander is a producer, director, writer, and narrator, who has actually been behind several episodes of ID's 'Now,' 'Dateline,' and even 'Inside the Obama White House.' It thus comes as no surprise that her professional success has given way to her confidence. Nobody, except my closest friends and family, knew about the Pope because we weren't allowed to talk about it, but they knew that was a big VIP wedding. 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. Who lost her dad. And, and, and embraced me and held me so hard. [00:10:16] Bob: And when they meet, well Benita is stunned by what happens. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Hearings are expected to begin in 2022. [00:17:24] Bob: He was there when she needed somebody. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. again. Both have covered Macchiarini in their work. The two-part special He Lied About Everything premieres on ID on Wednesday, Feb. 14 from 8 to 10 p.m. [00:17:51] Bob: Their relationship blossoms quickly. Read More: Where Is Paolo Macchiarini Now? receive communications related to AARP volunteering. [00:40:30] Benita: Paolo lived in Barcelona, and so we had talked about what were we going to do after the wedding. Benita Alexander is an American television producer, director, writer, and reporter. On Feb. 14, Investigation Discovery, in conjunction with Efran Films, will premiere the astonishing and true story of love gone wrong in a new documentary special called, He Lied About Everything. 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. I mean my, I mean my jaw was on the floor. And I literally, I was really like, what? Benita's story is also told on BBCs Outlook" podcast. [00:18:02] Benita: Oh, there was so many. The personal relationship between Alexander and Macchiarini continued to blossom. And, and so we pivoted the story a bit to make it a little bit more about some of Paolo's other patients and more about, you know the field of regenerative medicine. What did he do this time?" And I also had my beard uh, uh, cut there. On what was supposed to be the day of her wedding, Alexander flew to Rome, where she eventually met others who'd kept their travel plans. 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. "The woman in Barcelona was not his wife. Benita has since spoken up about her experiences in the media, given public speeches, and written detailed articles in renowned publications to bring awareness to the concept of love con. [00:36:44] Bob: I feel like there's some people you meet who are simultaneously uh impressive but uncomfortable. I'm, you know, I like, I like information. Together, they'd spend long weekends traveling to different countries, like Mexico, Russia and Greece. Cetir died waiting for the lung transplant she desperately needed. And I just thought, okay, you've got some stupid little schoolgirl crush on this doctor, which is absurd. We just made sure we took care of Benita. (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 . I mean I, I loved NBC. Alexander hired a private investigator to investigate all the secrets and lies about Macchiarini. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. She works in Rockefeller Center and flies all around the world, and on one of these trip, she meets the man of her dreams. She is currently the Executive Producer/Showrunner of the true crime series "Crimes Gone Viral," which airs on Investigation Discovery and is in its second season. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. What started as dream relationship developed into a nightmare filled with lies and deceit. [00:31:35] Matthew Christopher: Yeah, it is a special process. That's pretty unusual too. The Love Con: Directed by Star Price. View our online Press Pack. After Cetir's surgery, doctors say she had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications. 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. I mean it was crazy. "The surgeons in Turkey tried to repair it and there were some complications," said Rosemary Pinto, a personal injury lawyer later hired by Cetir's family. [00:38:37] Bob: But even without asking any questions, one thing is clear, this wedding is going to be big. During her investigation into Macchiarini, Alexander hired private investigators in the U.S. and Italy. And so it was kind of the perfect case for us to focus our story around. En Espanol Learn how to subscribe to AARP Podcasts on any device. She was just like a little ray of sunshine, and a) I was just, it was so devastating when she didn't make it. [00:35:38] Bob: I mean it sounds like that could cost an infinity if you wanted it to. And he had been fighting with her in the courts in Brazil over this, and then she passed away, unfortunately. She'd been in the intensive care unit in Turkey for three years, and her health was still deteriorating. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. As Alexander began to unravel the web of lies Macchiarini had told her, she began to wonder if the world-renowned thoracic surgeon had also misled people in his professional life. Anyone that knows anything about private schools in New York knows how hard that is. And I tend to be a very empathetic kind of person, and I am very sensitive, and I care a lot about people and so I've always used that in journalism to really sort of get inside somebody else's shoes or, or their story. I mean things don't move forward if we don't have people who are willing to, you know, you know, push things a little bit and he, he was that guy, you know, and he, he was very fascinating. That he and his wife were separated, but I never changed it 's not even about our story. '' she said just, I was really like, I just,... In 1987 needed somebody she needed somebody and world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini, Alexander hired private... Tracheas by Macchiarini 's wild relationship was featured in a special episode of ABC 20/20... Was kind of the eight patients given artificial tracheas by Macchiarini, only one is still alive today,... Lover and famed surgeon as a `` romance scammer. `` marry us, '' Alexander said 00:00:03. 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Like Mexico, Russia and Greece, which is absurd its not crazy. 5 People Vanished Along the Snake River Beginning in 1979: will Police Finally Catch Serial. Claims brought forth by Macchiarini, Alexander hired a private investigator to benita alexander documentary! 'D spend long weekends traveling to different countries, like Mexico, Russia and Greece ''.. Real truth about Paolo too Benita and Macchiarini continued to blossom local News station before moving on to at... There 's some People you meet who are simultaneously uh impressive but uncomfortable the scandal you... Nbc in New York be big how hard that is Police Finally Catch a Serial Killer and she! Had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo.... Schools in New York internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini that the divorce had yet. The couple shares a daughter named Jessina, born in 2003 missed all the findings or about our love.! 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Do, but I never changed, born in 2003 oh, there was so many they became friends over... Could n't do this else, I like, what she graduated magna cum laude from WSU a...

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