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Benita Alexander is an American executive producer, narrator, writer, and director. She is the ex-fiancée of Paolo Macchiarini, a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher. Paolo has been accused of unethically conducting experimental surgeries, including procedures on relatively healthy patients.
Wiki/Biography
Benita Jane Alexander-Noel was born on Thursday, 21 April 1966 (age 57 years; as of 2023) in Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States. Her zodiac sign is Taurus. In 1987, she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Wayne State University in Michigan.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 5″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Blue
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Ralph B. Alexander, is a nuclear physicist and an analyst for the Rowan Technology Group in Chicago, and her mother, Sandra Attebury, is a retired art teacher from Webster Elementary School and Stevenson High School in Livonia, Michigan. When Benita Alexander was 18 years old, her father got married to Claudia Alexander. She is the stepdaughter of Claudia Alexander and Fred Attebury.
Husband & Children
In 2003, she got married to John Noel, and in the same year, the couple was blessed with a daughter named Jessina. In 2009, Benita Alexander and John Noel got divorced. On 18 October 2012, she got married to Edson Ricardo Jeune, who is a freelance ballroom dancer and ballroom dance instructor in New York.
Benita Alexander with Edson Ricardo Jeune
Relationships/Affairs
In 2013, Benita Alexander began to date Paolo Macchiarini, while he had separated from his wife Emanuela Pecchia; however, their divorce was not legal at that time.
Paolo Macchiarini with Benita Alexander
Fiancé
On 25 December 2013, Benita Alexander got engaged to his boyfriend Paolo Macchiarini. She planned a wedding to be held on 11 July 2015, in Rome; however, after Paolo’s deception, she cancelled the wedding.
An engagement day photo of Paolo Macchiarini and Benita Alexander
Religion
She is an Episcopalian.
Career
In March 1998, she began to work at Dateline NBC in New York. She created many different types of stories and special reports, such as those about investigations, crimes, consumers, breaking news, and profiles of celebrities. She reported on major events like the 9/11 attacks in the USA and created important specials like ‘Inside the White House’ and the 10th anniversary of 9/11, winning many awards. Her investigative stories, like the one that exposed scams in Guatemalan adoptions, received awards. In 2007, she took on the role of senior producer for weekends. In June 2014, she stepped down from the position of senior producer at Dateline NBC. In June 2014, she began to work as the supervising producer at The Meredith Vieira Show. In August 2015, she worked as the co-executive producer and narrator for TLC’s documentary ‘Break The Silence,’ addressing the issue of sexual abuse. In March 2016, she joined Efran Films where she wrote, produced, and directed many TV series including ‘The Great Rewrite’ (2016), ‘He Lied About Everything’ (2018), ‘Seduced by Evil’ (2019), and ‘Still a Mystery’ (2018-2020). She is also the CEO of Berraca Productions, a company she established to advance her advocacy for empowering women who are survivors of fraud.
Controversy
In January 2016, an article was published by a popular American magazine, which described the courtship and alleged marriage arrangements involving NBC News producer Benita Alexander and Paolo Macchiarini. In 2013, Benita was assigned by NBC News to produce a documentary called ‘A Leap of Faith’ about Paolo. During the project, she became romantically involved with him, only to discover in 2015 that he had been married for thirty years, including the entire period of their courtship. The article detailed Macchiarini’s lies about being a surgeon to celebrities and world leaders, including claims of associations with former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and plans for an extravagant wedding with Pope Francis officiating, Andrea Bocelli and Elton John performing, Enoteca Pinchiorri catering, and numerous celebrities attending. Macchiarini allegedly said that Pope Francis had given his blessing for their wedding, which the Pope’s spokesperson denied, stating that the Pope did not know anyone by that name and would not have officiated such an event.
Awards
- 2002:
- 2010:
Facts/Trivia
- In the 2018, documentary film ‘He Lied About Everything,’ Benita narrated her fairy-tale romance with Paolo Macchiarini that transformed into a nightmare. After discovering that her fiancé, Paolo, is not who he claims to be, Benita embarked on a journey to uncover the stories of the patients, who died in his hands, and their families. Benita has shared her experience on various national and international TV and radio programs. In 2019, the documentary film received a documentary category nomination at the WIN Awards (Women’s Image Network). In October 2020, her story premiered as the first episode of ABC’s primetime series, ‘The Con,’ hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.
Poster of the 2020 crime TV series ‘The Con’
- In August 2021, the third season of the Dr. Death podcast released a six-episode season titled ‘Miracle Man,’ focusing on Paolo Macchiarini. The podcast explores allegations of ethical misconduct and manipulation in Macchiarini’s medical practices, as well as his deception in his relationship with Alexander. The series features interviews with Benita Alexander to provide insights into the controversies surrounding Paolo.
Poster of the 2021 podcast ‘Dr. Death’
- In 2023, she appeared in a documentary titled ‘Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife’ which was released on Netflix and is based on Paolo’s works in the field of regenerative medicine.
- She follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- She consumes alcohol occasionally.
Benita Alexander holding a small glass of alcohol