Gilbert Arenas Ready to Walk Down the Aisle with Melli Monaco
In a romantic proposal, Gilbert Arenas, a 42-year-old former NBA player, has announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Melli Monaco, on Instagram. The media personality shared a selfie uploaded to Instagram as a video on Tuesday (July 30), detailing his Parisian proposal. According to the post, Arenas did not wait for an answer from his partner, stating, “The Eiffel Tower is Where it happened, She said nothing.”
Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star, confessed that he was nervous and asked the question, “Will you marry me?” followed by a heartfelt “yes” for himself. Monaco’s comment on the post affirmed the proposal, stating, “This man went down on one knee and said all in the same breath ‘will you marry me yes.'”
The next day, Monaco shared her own post, spending time in a pool with Arenas, captioned “YES!” According to Essentially Sports, Monaco is a 34-year-old YouTuber and musician who runs four channels on the platform, gaining a following after her song “War” was released. The couple reportedly collaborated on a video last year, where they played a one-on-one basketball game, and Arenas asked her out during a livestream.
However, the engagement drew comments from fans with jokes on the authenticity of the ring due to Arenas’ past relationship history. According to Atlanta Black Star, the former Memphis Grizzlies point guard admitted to giving his ex-fiancée, Laura Govan, a fake engagement ring in 2011. The couple dated from 2002 to 2014 and share four children, with Arenas proposing in 2008.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Arenas explained his reasoning for having a fake ring, stating, “When you have a million-dollar ring made, you also have a fake one made just in case s—t doesn’t workout…. Why sell it when I can pass it down to my kids?”
The couple’s engagement has sparked excitement among fans, with many congratulating them on their new chapter.