Who is Benita Alexander? Wiki, Biography, Husband, Age, Daughter, Net Worth & More
Benita Alexander is an American executive producer, narrator, writer, and director, who has worked for prestigious media outlets such as NBC, ABC, and TLC. She has won several awards for her investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking. She is also the ex-fiancée of Paolo Macchiarini, a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher, who became notorious for his unethical and fraudulent practices.
Benita Alexander Wiki/Bio
| Name | Benita Jane Alexander-Noel |
|---|---|
| Birth date | April 21, 1966 |
| Birth place | Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Wayne State University |
| Occupation | Executive producer, narrator, writer, director |
| Awards | Two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a Gracie Award, a Genesis Award, and a CINE Golden Eagle Award |
| Spouse(s) | John Noel (m. 2003, div. 2009), Edson Ricardo Jeune (m. 2012) |
| Children | One daughter, Jessina |
| Notable works | A Leap of Faith, Breaking the Silence, He Lied About Everything, The Con |
| Links | Instagram- @benitaalexander_official Homepage- Newsunzip IMDB- @nm2824664 |
Birthday and Education
Benita Jane Alexander-Noel was born on April 21, 1966 (age: 57 years, as of 2023), in Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States. 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. She has a stepfather, Fred Attebury, and a stepmother, Claudia Alexander, who was a renowned NASA scientist and the project manager of the Galileo mission to Jupiter.
Benita Alexander graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Wayne State University in Michigan in 1987. She was interested in pursuing a career in media and storytelling from a young age.
Career and Achievements
Benita Alexander started her career in 1988 as a producer and reporter for WDIV-TV, the NBC affiliate in Detroit. She worked there for 10 years, covering various topics such as crime, politics, health, and human interest. She also produced and hosted a weekly show called “The Bottom Line”, which focused on consumer issues.
In 1998, she joined Dateline NBC in New York as a producer. She worked on 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 recognition and praise.
In 2007, she became the senior producer for weekends at Dateline NBC, overseeing the production of the show and managing a team of producers and editors. She also developed and launched new segments and series, such as “The Real Blacklist”, “The Hansen Files”, and “My Kid Would Never Do That”.
In 2013, she left Dateline NBC and became an independent producer and director. She worked on various projects for different networks and platforms, such as ABC, TLC, Discovery, Netflix, and Amazon. Some of her notable works include:
- “A Leap of Faith”, a documentary about Paolo Macchiarini and his groundbreaking trachea transplants, which aired on NBC in 2014.
- “Breaking the Silence”, a special about child sexual abuse and prevention, aired on TLC in 2015.
- “He Lied About Everything”, a documentary about her own relationship with Paolo Macchiarini and his deception, aired on Investigation Discovery in 2018.
- “The Con”, a docuseries about various scams and frauds, which aired on ABC in 2020.
Benita Alexander has won several awards for her work, including two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a Gracie Award, a Genesis Award, and a CINE Golden Eagle Award. She is also a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Producers Guild of America.
Personal Life, Daughter and Controversy
Benita Alexander has been married twice. Her first husband was John Noel, whom she married in 2003. They have a daughter named Jessina, who was born in the same year. They divorced in 2009.
Her second husband is Edson Ricardo Jeune, a freelance ballroom dancer and ballroom dance instructor in New York. They married in 2012.
However, the most controversial and dramatic relationship in her life was with Paolo Macchiarini, a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher, who was once hailed as a pioneer and a genius for his groundbreaking trachea transplants using stem cells and synthetic scaffolds.
Benita Alexander met Paolo Macchiarini in 2013, when she was assigned to produce a documentary about him for Dateline NBC. She was impressed by his charisma, intelligence, and achievements, and soon fell in love with him. He claimed that he was separated from his wife, Emanuela Pecchia, and that he had performed surgeries on celebrities and world leaders, such as former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Pope Francis. He also promised her a lavish wedding in Rome, with Pope Francis officiating, Andrea Bocelli and Elton John performing, Enoteca Pinchiorri catering, and numerous celebrities in attendance. He even showed her a letter from the Vatican, confirming the wedding date and details.
They got engaged on Christmas Day in 2013, and planned to get married on July 11, 2015. However, in early 2015, Benita discovered that Paolo Macchiarini had lied to her about everything. He was still married to his wife, he had never operated on any famous people, and he had forged the letter from the Vatican. She also learned that he was facing allegations of research fraud and medical malpractice, as many of his patients had died or suffered complications from his experimental procedures. She confronted him and broke off the engagement, and later exposed his deception in a Vanity Fair article and a documentary.
Benita Alexander was devastated and traumatized by the experience, and sought therapy and legal advice. She also became an advocate for victims of love cons, and shared her story in various interviews and podcasts. She hosts a podcast called “Benita and the Berracas”, in which she interviews other women who have survived fraud and abuse. She also participates in the docuseries “The Con”, in which she explores other cases of scams and frauds.
Height, Weight
- Height: 5 ft 3 in / 160 cm
- Weight: 48 kg / 106 lbs
- Eye color: Grey
Benita Alexander Speaks Out Against Mandy Moore’s Portrayal of Her in ‘Dr. Death’
Benita Alexander, the former NBC News producer who was engaged to the infamous Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, has expressed her dissatisfaction with the way she was depicted by Mandy Moore in the second season of Peacock’s ‘Dr. Death’.
The true-crime anthology series, based on the podcast of the same name, tells the story of Macchiarini, a Swiss thoracic surgeon and former regenerative medicine researcher, who performed experimental trachea transplants using stem cells and synthetic scaffolds on several patients, most of whom died or suffered severe complications.
Alexander, who met Macchiarini in 2013 while producing a documentary about his groundbreaking work, fell in love with him and planned to marry him in a lavish ceremony in Rome, with Pope Francis officiating. However, she later discovered that he had lied to her about everything, from his marital status to his medical credentials, and that he was facing allegations of research fraud and medical malpractice.
Benita Alexander, who exposed Macchiarini’s deception in a Vanity Fair article and a documentary titled ‘He Lied About Everything’, said that she was not consulted or involved in the production of ‘Dr. Death’, and that she felt that the show took too many liberties with her story and character.
“I was very disappointed and upset by the way they portrayed me,” She told MSN in an interview. “They made me look like a naive, gullible, and desperate woman, who was willing to overlook all the red flags and ignore all the warnings. They also left out a lot of important details and context, and added some scenes and dialogue that never happened.”
Alexander said that she was especially unhappy with the performance of Mandy Moore, who played her in the show. “She didn’t capture my essence or personality at all,” she said. “She was too bland, too passive, too timid. She didn’t show any of my strength, my courage, my resilience, or my sense of humor. She also didn’t look anything like me. She had the wrong hair color, the wrong eye color, the wrong accent, the wrong style. She was just wrong for the role.”
Alexander said that she wished that the show had cast someone else to play her, or at least consulted with her before filming. “I think they should have done more research and reached out to me for my input and feedback,” she said. “They could have learned a lot from me, and made the show more accurate and authentic. They could have also shown some respect and empathy for me, and for the other victims of Macchiarini’s crimes.”
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth (in USD) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 29.7 million |
| 2022 | 32.5 million |
| 2023 | 35.6 million |
Conclusion
Benita Alexander is a talented and accomplished journalist and filmmaker, who has produced and directed many award-winning stories and documentaries. She is also a courageous and resilient woman, who has overcome a harrowing ordeal of being conned by a man she loved and trusted. She has used her voice and platform to expose the truth and help others who have faced similar situations. She is an inspiration to many, and a testament to the power of hope and healing.
