After Cetir's surgery, doctors say she had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications. And he said, "Just tell me when you want to stop." Death podcast. I want to focus on work. He was often described as a George Clooney look-alike, you know, he's, he's very elegant. Benita was also the Co-Executive Producer and narrator for the 2016 TLC documentary, Breaking the Silence," about sexual abuse. Um, she was being brought to Illinois, the Children's Hospital of Illinois because a Korean nurse there had found Hannah in the hospital in Seoul and had sort of lobbied to bring her to the US. Documentary Two-hour special that investigates the perfect engagement gone wrong between Emmy award-winning journalist, Benita Alexander, and the internationally acclaimed surgeon, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini. When a magical romance with a world-renowned surgeon develops into a nightmare, his fianc uncovers a path of destruction that leaves dead patients and shattered families in its wake. 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." 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. "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. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. I had to understand what happened and why. And after he left, I said to my parents, that's what I'm going to do when I grow up. With the celebrations set to last four days, Alexander had her dress designer make four different gowns. Learn how to subscribe to AARP Podcasts on any device. People often tell me that afterwards, that, you know, I'm very hyper-focused and very no-nonsense, you know, all business. But, she said he was in a "foul mood" the entire time they were there as he dealt with the continuing fallout from the allegations. 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. Which clearly would completely change the face of, of medicine and, you know, all these people that been told they have no hope or no chance, it, it would be, it would be a gamechanger, right. On your mark, get set, go. Oh, and a dance gown too, that was crazy fun. And I just thought, okay, you've got some stupid little schoolgirl crush on this doctor, which is absurd. 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 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. That makes me crazy. [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. [00:18:58] Bob: I love you in rose petals on the bed. (chuckle). That hideous under eye makeup , the obvious heavy Botox , that absurd VERY heavy makeup AND that over-dyed silly black hair says it all. 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. Her multiple awards include: Edward R. Murrow, 2 Emmys, 7 Emmy nominations, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia, NABJ and Sigma Delta Chi. I had to expose him.". Benita Alexander, an award-winning documentary TV producer and Paolo Macchiarini fall in love after meeting in 2013 while she is working on a story about the. You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. Since her romance with Paolo imploded in 2015, the brunette beauty has continued working on documentaries and docuseries'. In the meantime, please feel free 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. Benita was also the Co-Executive Producer and narrator for the 2016 TLC documentary, "Breaking the Silence," about sexual abuse. I was really taken back. But unfortunately, her personal life has been marred by a turbulent childhood in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and a series of unsuccessful relationships. So now, if you wish to learn more about the latters narrative as well as her current inspirational standing, weve got the details for you. In 2013, she was featured in the NBC documentary "A Leap of Faith." She has won numerous awards for her work. [00:01:59] Benita: I had worked my way up from working in, from tiny little newspapers in Detroit, Michigan, which is where I went to college and where I'd, my family had moved after Australia. In 2019, the film was nominated in the documentary category for the WIN Awards, Women's Image Network. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. In July 2015 their "cat and mouse game" came to an end when she revealed to him everything she found through the private investigation. "I wanted to get all the information that I could before I really confronted him.". In the course of that operation, the surgeons had nicked her trachea. [00:05:31] Bob: Benita worked on several stories about medical miracles, and at the time, there was one kind of medical miracle that just kept coming up. 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. 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. 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. And she, unfortunately, was born with no windpipe. Who lost her dad. Most importantly, though, we need to mention that Benita not only attended the former doctor/her former fiancs trial in Sweden, but she also covered it as a correspondent for season 3 of the Dr. You know, we should do this to help Pope Francis, we should do this to help the Catholic church, and so it was almost like an obligation. So it was uh, quite, quite in--, incredible or remarkable to, for those words to come out of her mouth. 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. "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. Season 1 (206) 2018 13+ He Lied About Everything is the true tale of the love affair between award-winning investigative producer Benita Alexander, and world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. 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 . Alexander said that day marked the beginning of their relationship. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. After a few days there, she traveled to Macchiarini's home in Barcelona, Spain, with some friends who came along for support. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Journalist Benita Alexander (right) has revealed chilling clues that disclosed her lover and famed surgeon Paolo Macchiarini as a "romance scammer", The two fell for each other when Benita was interviewing Macchiarini for a story, The couple planned a lavish wedding set to take place in 2015 that felt too good to be true after Macchiarini said the Pope would officiate it, Benita decided to hire a private investigator, which led to her discovering her famous surgeon lover was actually facing legal trouble over his innovative techniques, Benita said she left her job of 17 years to marry Macchiarini, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). At the time, Macchiarini was employed by the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden. He Lied About Everything is the true tale of the love affair between award-winning investigative producer Benita Alexander, and world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. And spent months, you know, this did not happen overnight. [00:30:34] Bob: Now your wedding is a cause. It hired Bengt Gerdin, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, who spent six months examining some of Macchiarini's papers for evidence of research misconduct and in May 2015 determined that he was guilty, writing in his report that Macchiarini had made false claims about his patients' conditions improving, failed to report severe complications in some patients and made it seem as if some patients had been healthier for longer than they'd actually been following their surgeries. Alexander was assigned to work on the documentary about Paolo Macchiarini who has considered a pioneer in organ transplant. 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 everything else, I'm planning everything, and you can't ask me any questions." They become engaged and plan a lavish dream wedding, to be attended by celebrities and officiated by none other than Pope Francis himself. Along the way he promises her a fairy tale wedding to be officiated by the Pope. And she was Daddy's Little Girl. Well actually, dresses. For other inquiries, Contact Us. (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 . [00:31:00] Bob: One of those nondisclosure agreements is signed by Matthew Christopher. 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. If I had a checklist, he, he was everything I would want in a partner, everything you would want in a man. He gave me really sage, solid, kind advice.". 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. And that presence was really something, it was really something. Benita Alexander-Noel was born on April 21, 1966 in Australia. Then, two years later, her father, whod married a neighbor, asked her to pack up her bags and leave for good. [00:35:38] Bob: I mean it sounds like that could cost an infinity if you wanted it to. She was taking an incredible risk by getting involved with Paolo. I didn't, you know, how do you, how do you not ask any questions, but all my friends convinced me, they said, "You know, Benita, you know he has amazing taste. On the back of his motorcycle, he drove her along the Illinois River until they found a place where she could memorialize her ex-husband. She started her career at a local news station before moving on to work at NBC in New York. 5. "That wasn't true. The Perfect ScamSMis a project of theAARP Fraud Watch Network, which equips consumers like you with the knowledge to give you power over scams. "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.". The providers terms, conditions and policies apply. But despite his seemingly busy schedule, Alexander said Macchiarini offered to plan their wedding. They became friends and over time she felt herself falling for him, despite her journalistic integrity impeding the romance. Sought after worldwide, people believed Macchiarini would one day revolutionize the field of organ transplantation, journalist Bo Lindquist said. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? They had already decided to marry in Italy, where Macchiarini wanted a Catholic wedding despite rules against remarriages. But Macchiarini showered her in flowers and jewelry. This was, I didn't even know what to say. Benita Alexander grew up like a regular American kid. In June 2013, they flew to Venice for what Alexander called an incredibly romantic weekend.. Paolo Macchiarini proposes to Benita Alexander before leaving US for work: Part 2Alexander seemed to be living a fantasy lifestyle. I'm going to have to do the exact number but [00:12:07] Bob: And you hadn't felt that way ever, or at least not for 30 years, something like that. You know, no, how do we take viewers through a two-hour journey of this little girl coming, you know, halfway across the world to get this radical surgery, and then she doesn't make it? If your response is to point a finger at a victim, thats really sad. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos and shows Alexanders search for the truth after such a shocking betrayal of the heart. [00:12:46] Benita: Oh yeah, no, I immediately just sort of shoved it down and thought whatever that was, it was, it was silly, and uh, let's forget about that. A contact she had to the Clintons told her they'd never heard of Macchiarini. You know, "What did he do this time? For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard. In 2020, she appeared on the ABC documentary series The Con to discuss her personal life and narrate what happened between her and Paolo Macchiarini. In her personal life, she's also looking for a medical miracle, a miracle that, well it wasn't going to come. In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails [00:02:15] Bob: Still a young journalist, she found her way to the top of her profession very quickly. She's a star producer for NBC News in New York, working alongside Meredith Viera creating primetime TV specials. Journalist Benita Alexander is swept off her feet by a dashing Italian doctor, Paolo Macchiarini, while filming a documentary about his miraculous surgeries. She is also the CEO of Berraca Productions, a company she founded to further her advocacy work empowering women who are the survivors of fraud. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. [00:26:36] Benita: Paolo wanted a big, Catholic wedding. In fact, he told me that Paolo would often leave their interview to engage in some frantic texting with someone, probably a lover, probably Benita. [00:23:44] Bo Lindquist: Paolo was very well-dressed and very careful with his looks. "I talked to my editors and we started thinking, 'Well, let's just keep pulling on this thread. She was 100% Daddy's Little Girl, and he utterly adored her. And one of those really, really tight embraces. You know, part of it is you meet so many different people that you would never meet otherwise, but when you can tell a story that actually makes a difference in someone's life, that, to me, that's one of the most beautiful things about journalism. In 2013, the successful documentary producer met world-renowned, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini while working on a project for a major network. I mean most 8-year-olds will change their minds, you know, many times, but I never changed. And so it was kind of the perfect case for us to focus our story around. The slip from "Prince Charming to pathological liar" took place over just two years, she said. 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. 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. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. Excellent place. He responded wow,'" Benita claimed. Of course, it's Valentine's Day, I'm like, oh my God. [00:35:25] Matthew Christopher: Um, gosh, 1-2-3 for her. 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. 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. 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. I didn't even, I, I, I stopped in hesitation. And I open the door, and there's a trail of rose petals leading up to the bed, and it says "I love you" in rose petals on the bed. You know he loves to surprise you. They got married in October 2012. 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. Organ transplantation, journalist Bo Lindquist said ask me any questions., I 'm Bob.. 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