[00:37:05] Benita: Everything was very, very secretive, and because the Pope was doing this, um, and Paolo told me that the Vatican would not even announce it until the day of our wedding so that the news didn't leak out. In need of a lung transplant, doctors arranged to transfer her to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. She couldn't run around and play. It was kind of romance on steroids. Uh, I think he actually appreciated being challenged to an extent. You will be asked to register or log in. 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. The Karolinska Institute commissioned an external investigation into the allegations. I was like, 'What is happening to Benita,'" Alexander's friend, Marian Fontana, said. Soon afterward, he took her on an "over the top" romantic trip to Italy, where they ate extravagant meals, went shopping and island hopped on a private boat, she said. Lindquist had begun his own investigation into the claims brought forth by Macchiarini's colleagues. That was insane. I mean, I got this sort of chill through my body, like there was some sort of electric spark, and I remember, in my head, thinking, 'What the hell was that?'". Benita Alexander thought she had found her modern day Prince Charming. 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. The personal relationship between Alexander and Macchiarini continued to blossom. 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. You know this man adores you. He has peoples lives in his hands.. [00:10:23] Benita: Yeah, the thing about this was, I am, and I'm, I'm very serious when I work. But at this point, they're just questions. ABC7's Dallas Raines explains the difference, Jury selection begins for convicted torturer accused of escaping jail. She said she'd never fantasized about a "Prince Charming." "He comes around the corner, he looks right at me and in that second something happened. And I, I think at least that it makes me a better writer and a better journalist. 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. 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. Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages English Buy Season 1 With the celebrations set to last four days, Alexander had her dress designer make four different gowns. But the former NBC News producer would come to find out the hard way that even the most glamorous and convincing of appearances can be deceiving. She was just like a little ray of sunshine, and a) I was just, it was so devastating when she didn't make it. Benita graduated magna cum laude from Wayne State University in Michigan, with a B.A in journalism. "The outcry was such that the Karolinska Institute had to do something," said Ritchie. Maybe help me, help with the invitations 'cause I don't want to deal with that. "As furious as it makes me what he did [to me and] my daughter, the thought that this is a man who has people's lives in his hands. And he's getting noticed in the medical field. And I got so irritated with him, I actually hung the phone up on him. And it was, it was things like this all the time. 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. This was worldwide. Perfect. Along the way he promises her a fairy tale wedding to be officiated by the Pope. You know we went on this incredibly romantic trip to Greece, and he was always videotaping me. 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. Meanwhile, the investigation into Macchiarini's professional life was ramping up -- the Karolinska Institute was investigating whether he'd fabricated aspects of his medical research. I was blissfully happy. People often tell me that afterwards, that, you know, I'm very hyper-focused and very no-nonsense, you know, all business. Macchiarini had been credited with developing innovative surgical techniques using stem cells in synthetic trachea transplants. And so I did, you know, I sat back, and even when I was tempted to ask questions, I didn't. He speaks 5 or 6 languages, and he works all over the world, and you know, dresses very beautifully. [00:36:55] Bob: Benita, the TV producer, is very used to managing all the details of a big event. Instead, he says their underlying health conditions were fatal and may have been a factor in their deaths. And we first met in early 2013. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The story with making a couture gown is, you know, it goes through, gosh, a team of pattern makers, drapers, um, stitchers, sewers, hand stitchers, beading and embroiderers, lace, and all that kind of stuff. 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. For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard. [00:36:07] Matthew Christopher: Confident, rico-suave, I am Paolo, ha-ha, and I'm like, okay, you know, I'm like am I nervous? Use tab to navigate through the menu items. [00:33:44] Bob: And you, you had outfitted Broadway stars, famous people, but even for you this was a big deal. [00:11:57] Benita: Ooh, you're going to make me do math. [00:05:44] Benita: Yeah, I mean the, we wanted to do a story about this field called regenerative medicine which added base core, the most simplistic way to define this is, it's sort of sci-fi, futuristic medicine where the, the goal is to be able to create body parts or organs in the lab, man-made. And then um, (sigh) oh her sisters, the two bridesmaids, and then two flower girl dresses. [00:24:37] Bob: Paolo is a natural subject for a documentary film. She couldn't do anything that a normal child could do. 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. 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. 5. But before the wedding can happen, Benita makes a discovery that may prove the doctor is not all he claims to be. 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. The latter refers to his misconduct that led to the deaths of several patients. "I, to this day, have no idea why he lied about our entire relationship.". And, and, and embraced me and held me so hard. "It said that he had a normal functioning airway," Corbascio said. 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. Prior to this, Benita spent 17 years in network television, producing long-form documentaries, breaking news, investigations, specials and hard news features for NBC. She was 100% Daddy's Little Girl, and he utterly adored her. 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. Come on. I thought he was playing some kind of silly game with me. [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. [00:32:14] Matthew Christopher: She actually came to my private showroom which was really cool, and um, I had my whole staff there, and we had to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and I was like, what is going on here? In her personal life, she's also looking for a medical miracle, a miracle that, well it wasn't going to come. How does one design a wedding dress for a wedding [00:34:25] Matthew Christopher: With the Pope? Alexander had already sent invitations to her closed ones. Benita Alexander is an American television producer, director, writer, and reporter. That makes me crazy. You can also manage your communication preferences by updating your account at anytime. But everything else, I'm planning everything, and you can't ask me any questions." Alexander was working on a documentary about Macchiarini's success in the medical field. [00:25:28] Bo Lindquist: He was definitely prone to getting angry and, and could be quite violently. 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. Macchiarini took Alexander to several romantic getaways in Europe. Just like, oh, the dance dress was crazy. [00:32:33] Matthew Christopher: (laugh) She said to me as I um, she said to me, "Well, Matthew, (or team)" she goes, "Well, I'm getting married by the Pope." I was really taken back. A presence. She graduated magna cum laude from WSU with a degree in journalism in 1987. 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. Benita and Macchiarini's wild relationship was featured in a special episode of ABC's 20/20 on Friday. Corbascio called the decision "absolutely insane.". In 2013, the successful documentary producer met world-renowned, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini while working on a project for a major network. The scale . She was able to get the Vatican to verify that he had never been the pope's personal doctor. Macchiarini had told her that he and his wife were separated, but that the divorce hadn't yet been finalized legally. And it's, I was proud to work there. Macchiarini denied the accusations coming from his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute to Alexander, and she doubled down on supporting Macchiarini. 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We had a long time together on the flight from Korea to Illinois. Read More: Where Is Paolo Macchiarini Now? Moreover, the Italian investigator found records showing that despite planning a wedding with Alexander for so long, Macchiarini was still legally married. Best Known For For her appearance in ID Now (2017), Dateline NBC (1992) and Inside the Obama White House (2009). After she called Macchiarini, furious about what she'd read, she began to wonder what else he might have lied about. After Cetir's surgery, doctors say she had to undergo an additional 191 surgeries for other complications. The providers terms, conditions and policies apply. 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. And I was really wrestling with all of it. Before their wedding, the couple visited Italy, where Alexander asked Macchiarini to show her where their wedding celebrations would take place. She finds that story in South Korea. Her multiple awards include: Edward R. Murrow, 2 Emmys, 7 Emmy nominations, Alfred I. duPont-Columbia, NABJ and Sigma Delta Chi. And right about then, across the Atlantic Ocean, Bo is about to find out the real truth about Paolo too. [00:30:47] Benita: It was all very hush-hush, you know, everybody that was involved in the wedding planning, including the people that designed the wedding invitations, the people that made my wedding dresses, everybody had to just, had to sign nondisclosure agreements. [00:39:32] Bob: And as the day approaches, Benita gets to try on that custom-made wedding dress. Hosted by Benita Alexander. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360. 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. "None of these people were coming," Benita said she tragically discovered. What started as dream relationship developed into a nightmare filled with lies and deceit. There's so much she couldn't do, but she had this sparkling personality. But this magic carpet ride takes so many twists and turns that well, you just have to hear them for yourself. Cetir died waiting for the lung transplant she desperately needed. It's a very aggressive form of brain cancer. Paolo Macchiarini proposes to Benita Alexander before leaving US for work: Part 2Alexander seemed to be living a fantasy lifestyle. In mid-2013, they became a couple and in December that year they became pre-engaged as Macchiarini, who lived in Barcelona, Spain, said he was still legally married with two children but had been separated for a long time and was filing for divorce. Famous For Being an American actress and producer. 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. I truly was for a period there, happier than I think I've ever been. She is an executive producer, narrator, writer and director known for her work in the true crime genre. 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. www.aarp.org/volunteer. So over the next few days he tells me that theres something hes never told me before, and that he is actually Pope Franciss private personal doctor. Um, made dinner, and did all this, and then we were discussing and showing fabrications and doing sketching and then like, you know, where were we going to begin? 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. 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. Claiming he was in demand. "He didnt know Pope Francis, he wasnt his personal doctor.". 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