Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that season 2 of Peacock’s anthology true crime drama ‘Dr. Death’ does justice not only to its title but also to its incredible preceding debut. After all, this installment delves deep into the tale of once-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon Paolo Macchiarini as both his personal and professional web of lies unfold right in front of the entire world. That’s actually when it came to light one of his emotional casualties even included his love con victim Benita Alexander’s young daughter — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about her, we’ve got the details for you.
Who is Benita Alexander’s Daughter?
Although born in 2003 to news producer Benita and journalist John Noel as the light of their lives, Jessina (named Lizzi in the original series for privacy) mostly grew up alongside just her mother. The truth is her parents seemed head over heels in love when they joyfully welcomed her into this world, yet things soon started crumbling around and they separated following 12 years in 2009. Their ensuing divorce proceedings were reportedly quite bitter, yet these New Yorkers still managed to walk away from it rather amicably since their little girl was their top priority — they wanted her to have both parents.
In other words, despite the fact Benita got Jessina’s primary custody, she and John were on the same page regarding their wish for her to be raised in two separate yet complete households. But alas, nothing panned out in the way they’d expected as the latter sadly ended up developing terminal brain cancer within three years — he passed when his daughter was 9 in June 2013. This entire ordeal was obviously difficult for both females, but the producer did have some extra support in the form of Paolo Macchiarini, whom she’d recently met while working on a documentary surrounding his research.
Benita and Paolo thus got intimately involved shortly thereafter, with one of their professional-to-personal turning points being the way he’d soundly advised her on how to break the harrowing news about John to Jessina. That’s essentially when she began viewing him as “safe,” unwittingly making her bring down her walls and be more open as well as vulnerable, leading to a full-fledged romantic relationship. Little did this producer know he was already a married father of two — not divorced, fully married — and a nearly psychotic, compulsive liar in his field of work — his research had no real backing.
As for Jessina, she fell prey to Paolo’s thick accent, soft voice, and calming demeanor too, which played a crucial role in the months to pass as her approval made it easier for him to get down on one knee. He subsequently even took this mother-daughter duo to visit his own mother in Lucca before managing to convince them that relocating to Italy following the nuptials would be a great idea. Benita hence quit her coveted job at NBC and pulled her daughter out of school, just to thankfully learn her fiance’s truth before it was too late — though Jessina allegedly only got to know details once it became public.
Where is Benita Alexander’s Daughter Now?
Upon canceling the wedding, Benita Alexander did send an additional e-mail to Paolo expressing her sheer anger, which read, in part, “I believed you were exactly who you presented yourself to be, to me, to my friends and family, to the world. Congratulations. You charmed me, and all of us, into la la land. I will never, ever understand how you could have done this to me, or to Jessie. Who the hell are you, and what the hell is wrong with you?” Nevertheless, per the Peacock series, the surgeon continued communicating with Jessina until her mother found out and interfered, after which the entire truth came to light too.
Coming to Jessina’s current standing, from what we can tell, this 20-year-old is now trying to move on in life to the best of her abilities while also ensuring she stays in touch with her loving mother. As for her professional status, it appears as if this college-aged travel enthusiast is pursuing her passion for photography at the moment, all the while reportedly running an electronic cigarette store too. You can actually find most of her original creative work on her social media platforms as well as her website; plus, we should mention she even does commission-based pieces.
Read More: Who Were Paolo Macchiarini’s Victims?
