Review: 'He Lied About Everything'

In 2018, it's sadly not uncommon to discover a loved one has lied to you. Social media makes it so easy to exaggerate your positives and gloss over your flaws. Some days, it seems like everyone is lying a least a bit about themselves and it's such a common problem in dating that the idea of being "Catfished" by a loved one has spawned a hit MTV series.

Still, there are lies that confound all logic. It's one thing to lie about how much you weigh or if your loved one really looks good in those jeans. It's another level of insanity entirely to lie about every aspect of your life. To pretend to love someone, to bond with their child while simultaneously spreading untruths with your every action. It's a level of sociopathic behavior that's chilling and it's the core story in the new Investigation Discovery special "He Lied About Everything."

When Benita Alexander met Paolo Macchiarini, she was an award-winning investigative news producer who was doing a story on Macchiarini. He was a world-renowned surgeon who had become well known for his ground-breaking transplants of artificial tracheas. Her husband has recently passed away and despite her reservations, she fell madly in love. Even more importantly, her young daughter bonded with him as well.

Macchiarini was suave, successful and seemingly at the top of his game. He swept Alexander off her feet, proposed and then planned a storybook wedding in Italy. He convinced her to quit her job and move to his home in Barcelona after the wedding. She invited friends and colleagues to the wedding that seemed to be Cinderella-worthy. Macchiarini was planning everything and he promised her the wedding would include world leaders and a visit from Pope Francis.

Two months before the wedding was due to take place, she discovered everything was a lie. From the wedding to his supposed successful surgeries, every part of Macchiarini's life was a fabrication. And when she discovered that, Alexander set out to try and discover the truth.

The search for the real story of Paolo Macchiarini dominates the second half of "He Lied About Everything" and it's a gut-wrenching journey to watch. Every scene is more jarring than the last and by the end of the special, you'll be left emotionally wrung-out and slack-jawed by his level of deceit.

"He Lied About Everything" is a horrific story of master-level dishonesty. I can't imagine how difficult it was for Alexander to tell this story. But it makes for an amazing couple of hours of television.

Holy crap.

"He Lied About Everything" premieres on Investigation Discovery on Wednesday, February 14th at 8/7c.