James Fox Reveals Bombshell UFO Witness
Key Takeaways
Dr. Italo Venturelli now claims he spent 3-4 minutes with a living alien at Hospital Regional in Varginha, Brazil
In 2023, the same doctor said he only saw a 15-20 second video shown by a colleague
James Fox is offering $200,000 for the alleged hospital video footage
The story change raises serious questions about witness credibility in the famous 1996 UFO case
Fox's updated documentary releases December 2025, marking nearly 30 years since the incident
The Varginha Case: A Brief Introduction
The 1996 Varginha UFO incident remains one of the most compelling cases in ufology. On January 20, 1996, in the small Brazilian city of Varginha, multiple witnesses reported seeing strange creatures. The case gained international attention when three young women claimed they encountered a brown, oily-skinned being with red eyes and V-shaped ridges on its head.
What made this case particularly intriguing was the alleged military response—reports of army trucks, hospital visits, and a subsequent cover-up operation that involved threats to witnesses.
James Fox's 2022 documentary Moment of Contact brought renewed attention to the case, featuring extensive interviews with original witnesses, military personnel, and medical professionals. Now, Fox is releasing an expanded version in December 2025 to coincide with the 30th anniversary in January 2026.
But there's a problem with one of his newest star witnesses.
Meet Dr. Italo Venturelli: The Neurosurgeon Who Changed His Story
Dr. Italo Venturelli is not just any witness. He's:
Head neurosurgeon at Hospital Regional in Varginha
A respected medical professional with decades of experience
A concert pianist
Someone who runs a chain of hospitals
In other words, he has impeccable credentials and everything to lose by coming forward with an extraordinary claim.
The 2025 Story: Face-to-Face with an Alien
In Jesse Michaels' recent interview promoting Fox's new documentary, Dr. Venturelli provides an emotional, detailed account:
He was on duty in the ICU when the being was brought in
He spent 3-4 minutes in the room with the creature
The being was alive and lying in a specific bed he can point to
He made direct eye contact with the entity
They had telepathic communication
The being had red, teardrop-shaped eyes and white skin
The creature communicated: "I am okay. I've received care."
His colleague, Dr. Marcos Venicio Neves (who died in 2018), performed surgery on the being
The military burst in, took the being, and threatened hospital staff to remain silent
Dr. Venturelli becomes emotional during the interview, even crying as he recounts holding this secret for 29 years.
The 2023 Story: Just a Video Clip
Here's where things get problematic.
In April 2023—just two and a half years earlier—Dr. Venturelli gave a completely different account in an interview produced by James Fox Productions (the same team behind the new documentary).
In that interview, titled "The Video I Saw," Dr. Venturelli stated:
He never saw the being in person
A colleague showed him a 15-20 second video clip on WhatsApp
He couldn't identify the location—didn't even know if it was in his own hospital
He couldn't see below the being's waist in the video
The quality was poor and showed very little detail
He described it as a colleague's account, not his own experience
His demeanor was calm, rational, and matter-of-fact
The interviewers even speculated that Dr. Venturelli might have been shown the famous 1995 Roswell alien autopsy hoax video (which was released just one year before the Varginha incident).
The Dramatic Differences: A Side-by-Side Comparison
2023 Account
Saw a 15-20 second video
Didn't know the location
Poor quality video, couldn't see much
No mention of telepathy
Calm, rational demeanor
Described as colleague's account
Didn't know if it was even in his hospital
2025 Account
Was physically present for 3-4 minutes
Points to the exact bed in the exact room
Made direct eye contact, observed red teardrop eyes
Detailed telepathic communication
Emotional, crying, visibly affected
Described as personal firsthand experience
Specific details about Hospital Regional ICU
This isn't a minor discrepancy or translation error. This is a fundamental transformation of his testimony.
Why This Matters: The Credibility Question
The Court Case Analogy
James Fox claims in the Jesse Michaels interview that if this were a court case, "you would have an overwhelming amount of evidence" and "you could sway any jury."
But here's the problem: no jury would accept testimony from a witness who completely changed their story.
In any legal proceeding, when a witness gives contradictory accounts, their credibility is destroyed. Defense attorneys would have a field day with this discrepancy.
The Original Interviewers Were Skeptical
Even the team that conducted the 2023 interview expressed doubts. At the end of that video, they admitted:
They weren't sure he had actually seen a real video
They suspected he might have been shown the Roswell hoax footage
They were investigating whether the alleged video existed at all
These same researchers helped produce Moment of Contact and worked with James Fox on this new documentary.
The $200,000 Video Hunt
What makes this story even more intriguing is James Fox's aggressive pursuit of the alleged hospital footage.
The Reward Offer
In May 2023 (just days after Dr. Venturelli's first interview), Fox appeared on a Brazilian YouTube channel called "Paranormal Experience" and made an extraordinary offer:
Tier 1: Anonymous Submission
$100,000 USD for the video
$20,000 finder's fee
Anonymity guaranteed
Tier 2: Public Revelation
$200,000 USD for the video
Must come forward publicly with provenance
Must provide context and background
Bonus Offer
$50,000 USD for photographic evidence
Why This Amount Matters
$200,000 USD is an enormous sum in Brazil due to currency exchange rates. This kind of money could attract:
Legitimate witnesses with actual evidence
Opportunists with fabricated material
People willing to say whatever Fox wants to hear
The researchers on the Brazilian show openly discussed concerns about fraud and how this reward might bring false claims "out of the woodwork."
The Mystery of Dr. X
During that same Brazilian broadcast, one of the show's hosts revealed he had already seen a video—but described something entirely different from Dr. Venturelli's account.
They referred to the source as "Dr. X," someone whose identity they knew but wouldn't reveal publicly.
Here's where it gets interesting: Dr. Venturelli is from the same town mentioned in connection with Dr. X.
Could Dr. Venturelli be Dr. X? Did Fox's team convince him to upgrade his story from "I saw a video" to "I was there"?
The Unexplained Questions
1. Why Did the Story Change So Dramatically?
There are a few possible explanations:
Theory A: Fear Initially Prevented Full Disclosure
Perhaps Dr. Venturelli was afraid in 2023 and only admitted to seeing a video
After health scares (mentioned by Fox), he decided to tell the "full truth"
Problem: Why come forward at all in 2023 if he was afraid? Why not wait?
Theory B: Financial Incentive
The $200,000 reward might have motivated an "enhanced" account
A person who merely saw a video isn't worth much to a documentary
Someone who was physically present is a bombshell witness
Problem: This undermines his credibility entirely
Theory C: Memory or Confusion
Perhaps he genuinely confused his memories over time
Problem: Two years is not enough time for such a radical memory transformation
He's a neurosurgeon—someone trained in cognitive function
Theory D: External Pressure or Coaching
Perhaps Fox's team encouraged him to "remember more"
Problem: This would be deeply unethical documentary filmmaking
2. Why Isn't This Discrepancy Being Addressed?
This is perhaps the most troubling aspect. James Fox and his team:
Produced both interviews (the 2023 video was made by James Fox Productions)
Must know about the contradiction
Haven't publicly addressed it in any promotional materials
Continue to present Dr. Venturelli as a straightforward witness
In the Jesse Michaels interview, there's no mention of:
The previous 2023 interview
The video-only account
Why the story changed
How to reconcile the differences
3. What About the Alleged Video?
According to Dr. Venturelli's 2023 account:
Dr. Marcos Venicio Neves (the surgeon who allegedly operated on the being) had the video
Dr. Neves died of a heart attack in 2018
His wife supposedly has a hard drive with the footage
Dr. Neves was allegedly showing the video to many people
Fox claims to have spoken with:
Dr. Neves' wife
Dr. Neves' mistress
Dr. Neves' daughter from that relationship
But the video still hasn't surfaced, despite:
A $200,000 reward
Nearly 30 years since the incident
Multiple people allegedly having access to it
Dr. Neves supposedly sharing it widely
4. Why Point to a Specific Bed Now?
In the 2025 footage, Dr. Venturelli takes the camera crew to Hospital Regional and points to:
The exact room
The exact bed
The exact ICU location
But in 2023, he explicitly stated he didn't know where the video was filmed—couldn't even confirm it was in his hospital, let alone in Varginha.
How does someone go from "I don't know where this was" to "It was right here in this exact bed"?
The Supporting Cast: Other Doctors Weigh In
Fox has assembled a group of medical professionals who have known Dr. Venturelli for decades:
Dr. Janini: 48 years
Dr. Armando: 35 years
Others: 35+ years
In a video Fox posted on X (formerly Twitter), these doctors are asked if they believe Dr. Venturelli's account of seeing the creature in captivity at Hospital Regional.
They all express belief in him.
But the crucial question isn't asked: Do they know his story has changed? Have they been told about the 2023 video-only account?
Character witnesses are valuable, but they can only speak to someone's general honesty—not to the accuracy of contradictory specific claims.
The Broader Varginha Case: Still Compelling?
It's important to note that Dr. Venturelli's problematic testimony doesn't discredit the entire Varginha case.
The 1996 incident includes:
Strong Original Witnesses
The Three Girls (Liliane, Valquíria, and Kátia)
Gave consistent, detailed accounts
Never changed their stories
Faced ridicule but maintained their testimony for decades
Described a being with brown/red skin, red eyes
