A new two-hour “20/20” reports on Benita Alexander, a television producer who fell head over heels in love with world-renowned surgeon Paolo Macchiarini while producing a report on his revolutionary new surgery technique.

He took her to exclusive destinations around the world and after he proposed, as wedding planning unfolded, Macchiarini surprised Alexander by telling her about VIP guests that were slated to attend, including Elton John and John Legend. He also shocked her by announcing one of his patients offered to officiate the wedding.

That patient happened to be the pope. But what Alexander thought was a perfect match turned out to be a web of lies. There was a storm brewing in Macchiarini’s professional life: several colleagues alleged he committed scientific misconduct by falsifying data to make his new surgery technique – performing trachea transplants using a synthetic trachea – appear more successful than it 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 the criminal charges of aggravated assault brought against Macchiarini for his alleged medical crimes, which Macchiarini denies, and features a trove of home videos recorded during their romance. “20/20” airs Friday, Feb. 12 (9:01–11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC.

ABC News’ “20/20” is an award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Amy Robach. A proven leader in the long-form newsmagazine for over 40 years, “20/20” features hard-hitting investigative reports, in-depth coverage of high profile trials, unforgettable, character-driven stories and exclusive newsmaker interviews. In conjunction with ABC Audio, “20/20” produced top true crime podcasts “A Killing on the Cape” and “Cutthroat Inc.” “20/20” airs Fridays from 9:01–11:00 p.m. EST on ABC and is available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu.

David Sloan is senior executive producer and Janice Johnston is executive producer. Colleen Halpin is senior producer, and Emily Whipp is producer of this episode.