She had spent her entire little life in the hospital, never left the hospital because she had a tube down her throat just to live. And I, I think at least that it makes me a better writer and a better journalist. Short Press Reel. Alexander didn't initially believe him, but she said Macchiarini told her that the pope wanted to push forward his progressive agenda for the church. And when I looked at the email, there was an article, and it was an article about the fact that the Pope was not even going to be in Rome on July 11th, 2015, he was going to be in South America. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. 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. And she was Daddy's Little Girl. But this magic carpet ride takes so many twists and turns that well, you just have to hear them for yourself. He traveled to Illinois to operate on a Korean toddler who was born without a trachea and who was going to be the youngest person to ever receive an artificial one. [00:00:34] Welcome back to The Perfect Scam. 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. ABC News produced a tv series, The Con, that explores stories of people taken in by claims and promises that proved too good to be true, revealing how the victims were fooled and the cost of their false trust. Alexander was in head over heels for Macchiarini. She said she'd never fantasized about a "Prince Charming." Corbascio called the decision "absolutely insane.". "I went full on into investigator mode as I knew he wouldnt tell me the truth," Benita said. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. "That's when he told me that there was this kind of clandestine network [of doctors] who are on call, basically, for these people.'". But unfortunately, her personal life has been marred by a turbulent childhood in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and a series of unsuccessful relationships. In June 2013, they flew to Venice for what Alexander called an incredibly romantic weekend.. [00:31:37] Bob: Matthew is no stranger to dressing important people at important times. Macchiarini convinced Alexander that the Obamas, the Clintons, the Beckhams, Elton John, and John Legend were few of many personalities to attend their wedding. But her death was awful. 5. Hosted by Benita Alexander. [00:30:34] Bob: Now your wedding is a cause. I had to understand what happened and why. I was just giddy with happiness. [00:34:59] Bob: When you went to her house, was Paolo there? See production, box office & company info, Fatal Experiments: The Downfall of a Supersurgeon. You are no longer 21 !!! In response to Gerdin's report, Macchiarini denied all the findings. He was kind of a rebel. "I was angry as hell. And that's where we met for the first time. Copyright 2023 ABC News Internet Ventures. 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. [00:23:44] Bo Lindquist: Paolo was very well-dressed and very careful with his looks. Benita and Macchiarini's wild relationship was featured in a special episode of ABC's 20/20 on Friday. Hosted by Benita Alexander. He was a flair for the dramatic and plans one romantic encounter after another. [00:04:22] Bob: And you had a happy ending. That's next week on The Perfect Scam. "He was a good listener and gave me sage and solid advice.". The couple divorced in 2009. Quack, quack, quack. He was incredibly generous with them as well. 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. [00:38:44] Benita: I should say this wedding turns into something akin to the wedding of the century. 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. [00:02:26] Bob: I remember walking into 30 Rock thinking it was the equivalent of walking into Yankee Stadium or something. Benita met and married a fellow reporter, John Noel, and moved with him to New York, where they welcomed their daughter in 2003. 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. How to tell her, how to get her through this, and how is life going to change for her, and what does this mean for me? I truly was for a period there, happier than I think I've ever been. Maybe help me, help with the invitations 'cause I don't want to deal with that. 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. Benita Alexander grew up like a regular American kid. She'd been in the intensive care unit in Turkey for three years, and her health was still deteriorating. [00:41:47] Bob: But not as scary as what happens next. "Paolo was a really good listener," Alexander said. In the meantime, please feel free Lindquist's three-part documentary series "The Experiments" began airing just over a week after the damning Vanity Fair article was published in early January 2016. Benita Alexander, an award-winning documentary television producer and single mother, shares her story in ABC's "The Con." ABC News At the time, Macchiarini was employed by the prestigious Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Claiming he was in demand. Her daughter has thus been the only constant in her life. And I was, I was really moved by that. 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. Uh, I think he actually appreciated being challenged to an extent. 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 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. And Paolo never talks about his personal life. 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. But as the wedding planning continued, Alexander's fianc became increasingly embroiled in work-related issues. Benita Alexander attended Wayne State University, where she studied journalism. "It said that he had a normal functioning airway," Corbascio said. 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. 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). [00:23:10] Bo Lindquist: The first time was in Stockholm at the Karolinska Institute. Where is Benita Alexander now? Um, and so he had, we were coming back into the room after dinner one night, and I was kind of teasing him. How does one design a wedding dress for a wedding [00:34:25] Matthew Christopher: With the Pope? [00:17:51] Bob: Their relationship blossoms quickly. Read More: Where Is Paolo Macchiarini Now? [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. 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. Macchiarini had been credited with developing innovative surgical techniques using stem cells in synthetic trachea transplants. And so we were looking into this field, and we found this doctor. When Benita discovers that her fiance is not who he claims to be, she goes on an emotional journey to unravel a trail of destruction that leaves patients dead and their shattered families in shock. 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. With Whoopi Goldberg. Among several lies, Macchiarini told Alexander, one of those was Pope Francis officiating their wedding. So this is a lot of very heady information to take in, and he basically tells me that because hes the Popes private, personal doctor, um, and because this is such a progressive Pope, who has such a forward-thinking agenda, that the Pope a) wants to thank him for all the work hes done at the Vatican and for being his private doctor, and b) wants to use us for lack of a better term, as kind of a poster couple, so that by marrying two divorcees, you know, the Pope is going to use us to sort of open the doors of the Catholic church to allow divorcees to finally get married in a Catholic church. I was like, 'What is happening to Benita,'" Alexander's friend, Marian Fontana, said. The happy couple start planning their wedding in earnest, and well, we already know Paolo likes a challenge. She later tied the knot with a ballroom instructor Edson Jeune in 2012, yet even that didnt work out. But before the wedding can happen, Benita makes a . 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. [00:11:57] Benita: Ooh, you're going to make me do math. The personal relationship between Alexander and Macchiarini continued to blossom. "I was doing a story about regenerative medicine and his name kept coming up," Benita, a New York resident, said on the podcast Dr Death: Miracle Man. Benita Alexander has everything going for her. Benita Alexander-Noel was born on April 21, 1966 in Australia. Come on. I thought he was playing some kind of silly game with me. And so now his son, who I think was about 8 or 9 at the time, was in Brazil with her family, and he was engaged in this very difficult and complicated fight to try and get his son back, and such a loving father. But despite his seemingly busy schedule, Alexander said Macchiarini offered to plan their wedding. 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. She was floored when he told her John Legend would sing at their wedding and Pope Francis would officiate. "The Experiments" told the stories of some of Maccharini's patients, including young mother Julia Tuulik, who damaged her trachea in a car accident. 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. She works in Rockefeller Center and flies all around the world, and on one of these trip, she meets the man of her dreams. We have somebody who has been brave enough to share something thats already humiliating and devastating. You know, "You've, you've renewed my faith in love.". I said, I just, I can't do this. [00:30:37] Bob: So now that she's been told the Pope is involved, Benita has another secret to keep. In October, 2020, her story was the premiere episode of ABC's primetime series, "The Con," hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. 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. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. Benita Alexander has been married twice. [00:18:02] Benita: Oh, there was so many. That was insane. He responded wow,'" Benita claimed. 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. I mean I, I loved NBC. In 2019, she produced the Oxygen doc Seduced By Evil, which chronicles another con-man, Derek Alldred. So just under two months before the wedding, and it was just difficult. Alexander had already sent invitations to her closed ones. I mean we were there to speak about science, so I thought, okay. 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. ET on ABC. What is happening? He, he was supposed to be their last hope. And it was, it was things like this all the time. We had a long time together on the flight from Korea to Illinois. In need of a lung transplant, doctors arranged to transfer her to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. [00:34:17] Bob: Well, at some point you transition from wow to okay, I've got to get to work on this, right? 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. [00:06:46] Benita: And he was, as I said, called the super surgeon, and he was the pioneer in this field. Macchiarini took Alexander to several romantic getaways in Europe. [00:25:58] Bo Lindquist: I think he liked the challenge. Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English Buy Season 1 And she, unfortunately, was born with no windpipe. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. You know we went on this incredibly romantic trip to Greece, and he was always videotaping me. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. [00:19:01] Bob: It's just making it harder for every man in the world. Their guest list, Alexander said, included Elton John, the Beckhams, the Obamas, the Clintons and Russell Crowe. When her ex-husband died, Macchiarini helped Alexander cope. It was eight months later when they became properly engaged after Macchiarini presented her with a $100K ring. All Bo knew was that Paolo was very charming. We need to be pointing the finger at the con man.. [00:31:00] Bob: One of those nondisclosure agreements is signed by Matthew Christopher. ", Jupiter and Venus appear to 'kiss' in the sky, What is graupel? [00:01:54] Bob: Benita didn't start her career working for a larger network in New York. 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. His work, if controversial, is also groundbreaking. [00:15:28] Bob: As Hannah's story becomes more intense, the news on Benita's ex-husband, John, gets worse. 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 the two go on a magic carpet ride together. I'm never viewed like that, but I was definitely like, huh? Paolo Macchiarini was born in Switzerland to Italian parents and has spoken of having had a difficult childhood in Basel, where by his own account he felt like a perpetual outsider in school. 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. He was giving people who had no other hope. And I made it to this point. And I said, "Well how's that going to work, because we're both divorcees," or so I thought, and I'm not Catholic. 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." After doing her own research, Alexander found that Pope Francis had just married 20 couples and began to believe it was possible after all. And they kind of laughed. 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. 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