Episodes
20/20: True Lies (ABC Friday July 15, 2022)
Following the trial in which renowned surgeon Dr. Paolo Macchiarini was charged with aggravated assault for purported medical crimes, a two-hour “20/20” special examines Benita Alexander, a television producer who fell madly in love with him while working on a story about his ground-breaking new surgical method. He took her to upscale locations all over the world.
Macchiarini surprised Alexander by revealing that high-profile guests like Elton John and John Legend were expected to attend as the wedding preparations progressed after he proposed. He also announced that one of his patients had offered to officiate the wedding, which shocked her.
The pope just so happened to be that patient. But what Alexander initially believed to be the ideal match turned out to be a web of deceit. Several of Macchiarini’s colleagues claimed he engaged in scientific misconduct by fabricating data to make his novel surgical procedure—performing trachea transplants using a synthetic trachea—appear more successful than it actually was.
“20/20” co-anchor Amy Robach sat down for an interview with Alexander, who opened up about how she fell for the whirlwind relationship and was blinded by love, discovered a snag in the wedding plan that caused everything to unravel, traveled to his home in Spain where she came face to face with a shocking surprise and dealt with the revelations after uncovering the truth. The two-hour program also features interviews with those who witnessed Macchiarini’s downfall up close, including Alexander’s close friends and family and Macchiarini’s former colleagues who blew the whistle.
“20/20” also reports on the most recent developments, including this year’s criminal trial, where he was cleared of more serious charges of aggravated assault but ultimately convicted of causing bodily harm in one patient’s case, and features courtroom audio of Macchiarini and new interviews with Alexander, who attended every day of the trial, members of the prosecution and defense, and witnesses who testified.
Airdate: Friday July 15, 2022 at 9.00pm on ABC.
This episode is a repeat. It originally aired 12 February 2021.