It’s time for Gilbert Arenas’ ex-girlfriend to share her story. Following his engagement to Melli Monaco, the former NBA player has been in the headlines for various reasons. His confession of switching a real diamond ring with a fake ring for his ex-girlfriend is one of them. Finally, the mother of his four children has shared her side of the story. Along with revealing the truth about their relationship, Laura Govan disclosed another manipulative tactic Arenas allegedly used against her.

In an interview with Carlos King, Govan shared that her relationship with Arenas has worsened over time, as he allegedly uses their children to manipulate her. She says that it works because she holds her kids above all else. 

“Because now he uses the children. Because now he knows how to manipulate it because he can’t directly bother me right so he knows how much I love my children but here’s the thing, he also knows is that I love my children more than I hate him so he attacks the motherhood side of it um, he’s just done a lot. He’s done a lot. He’s the devil who’s busy at work and I fight it every day,” she said.

During the interview, the host initially referred to Arenas as her ex-husband before correcting it to her ex-boyfriend. This urged Govan to clarify the truth about their relationship. Were the two ever married?

While many assume that they were married, they never legally tied the knot. Though they were together for nearly a decade, Arenas has repeatedly clarified that he has never married, considering it a waste of money. Even on the podcast she said, “So let’s clear this up, we were never married, ok? Before, I used to let that slide because we were married by law because it was 10E, blah blah blah blah, because we were together for so long…”

But now, Arenas has found the love of his life. He is engaged to YouTuber Melli Monaco. 

Did Gilbert Arenas present a real diamond ring to his fiancee?

The Golden State Warriors legend seems to share a great bond with his children, Alijah, Aloni, Izela, and Hamiley. The kids were seen having fun with their father and his fiancée, Melli Monaco, who shared pictures on her Instagram.

Earlier Monaco had also posted a photo of her engagement ring from Arenas along with a heartfelt message saying “yes.” However, many commenters criticized, speculating about whether the ring was genuine. In the past, Arenas admitted to swapping his ex-girlfriend’s $400,000 engagement ring for a fake one worth only $10. This led her to sue him after she found the truth. However, that incident has no connection on his current relationship.

Monaco didn’t take the criticism lightly. Standing by her fiancé, she stated she would have accepted the proposal even if the ring were fake. “Real ring fake ring, I don’t care. it’s just a symbol. I would say yes regardless,” Monaco wrote. 

She even reciprocated his love by giving an engagement ring to Arenas. The couple seems very much in love and perhaps, Arenas’ opinion on marriage has changed.