Benita Alexander-Jeune started her career as a journalist for a few minor television stations. Benita's story is also told on BBCs Outlook" podcast. As a journalist, Alexander knew she couldn't get involved with the subject of her story. For AARP's The Perfect Scam, I'm Bob Sullivan. 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. [00:32:26] Bob: And so she comes in with a small team, right, and you all sit around a table, and what does she say to you? 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. That's pretty unusual too. But her death was awful. [00:34:35] Bob: The first step is working with Benita on ideas for the wedding dress. 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. 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. Macchiarini.". View this post on Instagram [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. My then ex-husband, who I had moved to New York with and the father of our beautiful daughter, was dying of brain cancer. She's a star producer for NBC News in New York, working alongside Meredith Viera creating primetime TV specials. "It was the weirdest thing," Alexander said. And, and then he would tell me the priest won't marry us, and this went on and on and on. 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. 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. 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 gave me really sage, solid, kind advice.". View our online Press Pack. It could go out the window. See the shocking new details about Paolo Macchiarini's alleged medical crimes, new interviews and new revelations Friday on "20/20" at 9 p.m. I see a woman and two kids," she said, adding that she knew about Paolo's wife in Italy. "She was having problems with infections so, at that point, she came into contact with Dr. There was no evidence the Obamas had heard of him, either. What started as dream relationship developed into a nightmare filled with lies and deceit. I found him very um, hmm, he had a presence about him. 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. 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. 5. I'm your host, Bob Sullivan. 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 [00:18:02] Benita: Oh, there was so many. And then every month there was a new surprise. And I was raised Episcopalian, but I said, "I know, I know enough about the Catholic religion to know that no priest is going to marry two divorcees," and he, he, you know, he said, "Don't worry. [00:33:44] Bob: And you, you had outfitted Broadway stars, famous people, but even for you this was a big deal. 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. [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. 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 we first met in early 2013. [00:01:54] Bob: Benita didn't start her career working for a larger network in New York. 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. But at this point, they're just questions. "The Experiments" told the stories of some of Maccharini's patients, including young mother Julia Tuulik, who damaged her trachea in a car accident. Death." 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. Corbascio called the decision "absolutely insane.". She was even more stunned when she began to realize that so much of what Macchiarini had told her about his personal and professional life was a lie. Learn how vehicle tech like blind spot warnings and drowsy driving alerts can help make driving safer. Um, which is just something I never thought I would do, you know. She found out exactly what hed lied about - and she said it was extensive. 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. 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. 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. 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. I love some pressure, let's go for it. Um, I almost actually passed out. 5. You know this man adores you. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. I truly was for a period there, happier than I think I've ever been. 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. 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. 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. "The first thing we did was inform our boss, and then we also informed Paolo Macchiarini's bosses at the university," Corbascio said. 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. Macchiarini claims the synthetic trachea didn't shorten Tuulik's life or the lives of any of his other patients, or cause their deaths. [00:02:26] Bob: I remember walking into 30 Rock thinking it was the equivalent of walking into Yankee Stadium or something. 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. We need to be pointing the finger at the con man.. [00:40:30] Benita: Paolo lived in Barcelona, and so we had talked about what were we going to do after the wedding. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. So this is not really out of the realm of possibility that he would have contacts at the Vatican. Despite her work ethic, she fell in love with Macchiarini. [00:26:36] Benita: Paolo wanted a big, Catholic wedding. [00:31:00] Bob: One of those nondisclosure agreements is signed by Matthew Christopher. Meanwhile, the doctors were still trying to save Cetir's life. I mean my, I mean my jaw was on the floor. Where is Benita Alexander now? I was really taken back. He was incredibly generous with them as well. I was so conflicted about it. "She had suffered at least two strokes; she had lost much of her vision, so she was partially blind; she couldn't walk," Pinto said. Yeah. Documentary producer Benita Alexander thought it was love when her job introduced her to internationally renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. [00:22:38] Bob: What Benita doesn't know at the time, she couldn't have known, is that Hannah's death also sparks the interest of the European journalist named Bo Lindquist, a Swedish filmmaker, he's already working on a documentary film about Paolo, but it isn't designed with a happy ending in mind. Wake up to the real world! And these were all couples that were quote-unquote living in sin, you know, they had children out of wedlock, or whatever. Alexander then married, Edson Jeune, a ballroom dancer. "That wasn't true. Cetir died waiting for the lung transplant she desperately needed. [00:19:01] Bob: It's just making it harder for every man in the world. 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. 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. He was a flair for the dramatic and plans one romantic encounter after another. Macchiarini did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. What did he do this time?" Both have covered Macchiarini in their work. 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. Macchiarini has not yet entered a plea, but has denied all of the charges. He's also never spoken publicly about his relationship with Alexander. Best Known For For her appearance in ID Now (2017), Dateline NBC (1992) and Inside the Obama White House (2009). Subtle message to him, perhaps. [00:10:23] Benita: Yeah, the thing about this was, I am, and I'm, I'm very serious when I work. And one of those really, really tight embraces. That makes me crazy. [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. But our guest list was insane because now that the Pope was marrying us, he kept inviting all these dignitaries, you know, so world leaders were coming to our wedding. It was magical. Nothing anybody could do for her, and then like so many of Dr. Paolo Macchiarini's patients, they did a google search and found this kind of a magician of a surgeon who said I can help your little girl. That's next week on The Perfect Scam. With Whoopi Goldberg. Thats what I have the power to do now. "He seemed like he was the miracle man," she said. 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. He wrote love notes in lipstick on her mirror and left roses on the bed in the shape of hearts. In the course of that operation, the surgeons had nicked her trachea. I don't know what I was. That was insane. Benita Alexander thought she had found her modern day Prince Charming. Cetir came to Macchiarini's attention after undergoing an elective procedure to correct a condition that caused excessive sweating. [00:34:59] Bob: When you went to her house, was Paolo there? 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. But unfortunately, her personal life has been marred by a turbulent childhood in Huntington Woods, Michigan, and a series of unsuccessful relationships. A love story gone bad for Benita Alexander, an award-winning documentary television producer and Paolo Macchiarini, an internationally renowned surgeon. Her purpose for doing so is simple; to not only move on but also build a safe community for survivors like her a place where theres self-healing through sharing and unconditional support. Paolo showers Benita with affection. We had a long time together on the flight from Korea to Illinois. Uh, I think he actually appreciated being challenged to an extent. The Love Con: Directed by Star Price. [00:35:53] Bob: And while the dresses are being made, while the other wedding preparations are underway, Matthew meets Paolo. Claiming he was in demand. TV producer's romance with star surgeon begins against better judgment: Part 1Benita Alexander met Paolo Macchiarini while covering his pioneering work for a. And I just thought, okay, you've got some stupid little schoolgirl crush on this doctor, which is absurd. It defeats the point, Benita recently said. Benita has to keep a secret. [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. As dream relationship developed into a nightmare filled with lies and deceit married 20 couples in the Vatican Perfect,! 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