But everything else, I'm planning everything, and you can't ask me any questions." I mean I, I loved NBC. It was killing me, and but I was also so in love with him. 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. 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. 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." This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. He gave me really sage, solid, kind advice.". [00:18:58] Bob: I love you in rose petals on the bed. And it's presented to me by Paolo, it's not even about our wedding or about our love story. He, he had sort of slowly moved his way into my heart and I, I think I just really needed to be wrapped in love at the time, and I, yeah, we fell in love. Yeah. He is one of the world's leading cardio thoracic surgeons. 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. Give it to me. And so he took me on his motorcycle along the Illinois River. Although her family said the injury wasn't serious enough to necessitate a tracheal transplant, she still underwent the procedure and went on to experience tremendous pain. 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. [00:35:25] Matthew Christopher: Um, gosh, 1-2-3 for her. Um, and so he had, we were coming back into the room after dinner one night, and I was kind of teasing him. The self-proclaimed love con expert is essentially currently utilizing her platform to expose various cases and empower brave women to not be shamed into silence, as per her Instagram. She found out exactly what hed lied about - and she said it was extensive. Moreover, the Italian investigator found records showing that despite planning a wedding with Alexander for so long, Macchiarini was still legally married. 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. [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? We had a long time together on the flight from Korea to Illinois. Uh, I think he actually appreciated being challenged to an extent. Claiming he was in demand. Benita Alexander grew up like a regular American kid. [00:25:22] Bob: And while Paolo loves to talk about his work, he isn't always charming. And I think I was even blushing. 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. And that's where we met for the first time. If I had a checklist, he, he was everything I would want in a partner, everything you would want in a man. And it was very difficult for us um, with the story because, you know, we had all hoped for one of these happy endings, you know, this was, the hope was to do a two-hour special, and at the end of it, you know, Hannah's home in South Korea, running around the backyard with her, her big sister, and you know, being a happy toddler as, as she should have been all along, and you know, Hannah was the most vibrant little girl. But this magic carpet ride takes so many twists and turns that well, you just have to hear them for yourself. Before their wedding, the couple visited Italy, where Alexander asked Macchiarini to show her where their wedding celebrations would take place. Exploring the troubling tales of people manipulated by claims and promises that proved too good to be true, it reveals how the perpetrator fooled their victims and made them pay the price for their misplaced trust both emotionally and financially. That's pretty unusual too. 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. She works in Rockefeller Center and flies all around the world, and on one of these trip, she meets the man of her dreams. ", Alexander, who waited in the car, said that the last time she saw Macchiarini, he had turned around and walked back up the stairs. In 2015, she served as a co-executive producer on Breaking the Silence, which featured DWTS pro Cheryl Burke, and Counting On alums Jessa Seewald and Jill Duggar Dillard. [00:24:45] Bo Lindquist: I mean he basically said that he was going to revolutionize medicine, and, and not just invent a new kind of a trachea or a new kind of transplant, but actually revolutionize surgery. Kind of like being in a fairy tale, you know. From what we can tell, Benita still resides in New York alongside her daughter, where shes primarily a freelance executive producer for Lion Television, all the while serving as a public figure. In the months leading up to the airing of A Leap of Faith, in June 2014, Macchiarini and Alexander went on trips to the Bahamas, Turkey, Mexico, Greece, and Italy. But her death was awful. 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. I mean it got to the point where he loved to surprise me, everywhere we went. He was listed as one of . He is Italian. Her mother was Korean, and her dad, Canadian. "I wanted to get all the information that I could before I really confronted him.". I think he needs to be behind bars. ET. [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. And there are special considerations now that the wedding is going to be at the Vatican, so she asks the store how she can get in touch with the designer? A post shared by Benita Alexander (@loveconned). Lindquist had begun his own investigation into the claims brought forth by Macchiarini's colleagues. I'm, you know, I like, I like information. This was, I didn't even know what to say. ET on ABC. And he was not doing well, and I was really struggling with the fact that I was about to become a single mother. And the two go on a magic carpet ride together. What did he do this time?" Dashing, successful and charming, Macchiarini, she thought, was the perfect man for her. www.aarp.org/volunteer. He also directed ABC News to a list of reforms the Institute was implementing in the wake of the scandal. I was like why, why are you videotaping me again. And I was really wrestling with all of it. Cetir's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the manufacturer of the plastic tube used in Macchiarini's procedure. Her new podcast "Benita and the Berracas," will feature Benita talking to other women who open up to her about their own love conned stories, along with advice on how to avoid becoming a victim. You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The famous surgeon, a miracle worker who gives hope to hopeless patients, who's rewriting the rules of medicine. [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. I mean I'm going to achieve this; you know what I mean? Along the way he promises her a fairy tale wedding to be officiated by the Pope. ", Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, What is graupel? 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. 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. Benita Alexander has been married twice. [00:01:54] Bob: Benita didn't start her career working for a larger network in New York. Benita was pursuing a big story when the ill-fated lovers met in 2013. [00:13:10] Benita: When I met Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, and when I was working on this story, I was at an extremely vulnerable place in my life. 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. This was worldwide. Benita has to keep a secret. 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. [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. He, he was supposed to be their last hope. "I talked to my editors and we started thinking, 'Well, let's just keep pulling on this thread. Macchiarini did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. You know this man adores you. 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. [00:35:01] Matthew Christopher: No, no, just her friends who are so much fun. [00:23:20] Bob: Bo also spent many months following Paolo around the world, getting to know him, getting Paolo to open up to him. And each surprise was a bigger wow factor than the last one. 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. [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." It just never stopped, to the point that I would come home from these trips, and all my friends were hanging on the edge of their seat. Hosted by Benita Alexander. 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. He wrote love notes in lipstick on her mirror and left roses on the bed in the shape of hearts. And these were all couples that were quote-unquote living in sin, you know, they had children out of wedlock, or whatever. [00:25:49] Bob: But, and this made him a fun interview, he doesn't mind debating his controversial techniques. Paolo showers Benita with affection. "I have some really high-powered clients," she said he told her. (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 . Benita Alexander has everything going for her. I was blissfully happy. She was able to get the Vatican to verify that he had never been the pope's personal doctor. "Then he said he had connections to the Vatican. But as the wedding planning continued, Alexander's fianc became increasingly embroiled in work-related issues. 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. Of the eight patients given artificial tracheas by Macchiarini, only one is still alive today. 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. Are you new to podcasts? How to, what do we do now? 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. [00:26:12] Bob: So while Bo follows Paolo around the world learning more about the miraculous procedures he is performing, Hannah's Story finally airs on NBC. [00:19:01] Bob: It's just making it harder for every man in the world. The slip from "Prince Charming to pathological liar" took place over just two years, she said. Benita was also the Co-Executive Producer and narrator for the 2016 TLC documentary, Breaking the Silence," about sexual abuse. I really felt that we made a difference, you know, we, our story played a huge role, I think, in paving the way for him to finally bring his son home, and those are the kind of things that really mean a lot, at least to me in journalism. They got married in October 2012. [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. So he was very interesting and very fascinating and also because he was a pioneer, and he was pushing the envelope, you know, he was a little bit, a little bit radical, but doing, he was taking chances that nobody else would, and we actually need people like that in medicine. I mean my, I mean my jaw was on the floor. Three months later, the Karolinska Institute ruled that while Macchiarini did not always rise to the level of its standards, he had not committed scientific misconduct. People often tell me that afterwards, that, you know, I'm very hyper-focused and very no-nonsense, you know, all business. They had already decided to marry in Italy, where Macchiarini wanted a Catholic wedding despite rules against remarriages. It does make it difficult sometimes, because you, some stories are so heavy and so difficult, and I would sometimes, it would take me weeks sometimes to sort of shake a story, and people would sit with me, and their stories would sit with me for a long, long time. While still trying to care for Cetir, Corbascio said his team found that Macchiarini had exaggerated the effectiveness of his surgeries and falsified data to make the surgeries seem more successful than they were. During her investigation into Macchiarini, Alexander hired private investigators in the U.S. and Italy. It does so much unnecessary damage. And one of those really, really tight embraces. Macchiarini was already being scrutinized for his work, including by doctors who had been trying to save the life of one of his patients, Yesim Cetir. What to tell her. But Macchiarini showered her in flowers and jewelry. Macchiarini and Benita quickly started planning an extravagant wedding, she said. It was an excellent place. Macchiarini told Alexander he was having difficulty finding a Catholic priest who would marry two divorcees, but he told her not to worry, he would talk to his contact in the Vatican. And as they ride the motorcycle away from the river, the magic carpet ride takes off. This is a surgeon. Quack, quack, quack. She won a slew of honors for her work with the greatest in television reporting, including two Emmys. 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. Because the, in itself, more gowns were added into the wedding. 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. She was just like a little ray of sunshine, and a) I was just, it was so devastating when she didn't make it. You could uh, train stem cells so that, and then inject them into the body and the stem cells would do the work, the surgery, not the knife. You know, all these celebrities were coming. I mean it was crazy. ", Heartbroken, Alexander continued to discover more of Macchiarini's lies in the ensuing months. Her multiple awards include: Edward R. Murrow, 2 Emmys, 7 Emmy nominations, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia, NABJ and Sigma Delta Chi. "None of these people were coming," Benita said she tragically discovered. Thats what I have the power to do now. If you want to tell somebody's story well, it, it helps if you can really tell it from their perspective. As a producer, for me that was next to impossible. The latter refers to his misconduct that led to the deaths of several patients. Eventually, she died. Emmy Award Winning . A contact she had to the Clintons told her they'd never heard of Macchiarini. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? "That wasn't true. [00:06:46] Benita: And he was, as I said, called the super surgeon, and he was the pioneer in this field. Macchiarini had reported that after his first patient underwent the procedure, a healthy trachea was beginning to develop, Lindquist said. Reality struck Alexander's fantasy romance eight weeks before she was supposed to marry Macchiarini in 2015, when she received an email from a colleague with the subject line saying, "The Pope.". And [00:14:24] Bob: It feels natural for Benita to share the family struggle with this world famous surgeon, a man who had spent his career cheating death, or trying anyway. 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. Where is Benita Alexander now? 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." And he said, "Just tell me when you want to stop." [00:04:33] Bob: But it also sounds like you get pretty, your stories are very emotional, and you get pretty involved in your subjects, right. Then, one morning, she read in The New York Times that Macchiarini's colleagues at the Karolinska Institute had accused him of scientific misconduct and filed a complaint with the university. She finds that story in South Korea. But then I, and this was October of 2014, and I went and googled, the first thing I did was I went to my desk and googled, literally googled, Does the Pope marry people? And what popped up was an article from a month earlier where the Pope had just married 20 couples in the Vatican. Um, maybe I felt like that at some point when I was really young and I had a, had a crush in school, I don't know, but I don't, I don't ever remember feeling like that. Um, you know, they come in and I'd say, "Welcome to your closet." You know he loves to surprise you. 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