Gilbert Arenas is willing to risk it all to go home to his wife, influencer and YouTuber Melli Monaco. Melli, a 34-year-old Capricorn, grew up in Paris, France.
Arenas, host of “Gil’s Arena” podcast, was indicted on Wednesday by the Department of Justice (DOJ) alongside an Israeli crime figure and three others.
Arenas and the four men are charged with operating a high-stakes gambling business out of a rented mansion in Encino, California.
Arenas pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
He was released on $50,000 bond following a court hearing on Tuesday.
Im Back on the Streets ??This aint got shyt to do with me ' just rented the house' Wasnt apart pic.twitter.com/ALjozzhzoY
— Gilbert Arenas (@NoChillGilZero) July 31, 2025
The former NBA star says he’s willing to sing like a canary in order to go home to his wife.
“Good luck in court,” he said in reference to his accomplices. “I’m pretty sure I ain’t gonna be there when it’s starting to go, cause, yeah, I’m snitching,” he said.
“Ain’t nothing wrong with snitching, man. It ain’t nothing wrong with just telling, man… Especially when you got a fine-ass girl at home,” Arenas said in a recent podcast.
Arenas knows his life is in danger, so he plans to skip the country if push comes to shove. He has a backup plan after the feds confiscated his passport.
“You gotta have two [passports],” Arenas said. “You think I’m dumb?”
Former NBA player Kwame Brown-turned-podcaster called Arenas “stupid” for throwing it all away on poker games.
“You’re facing fifteen years, five years on each charge, right? But your dumb a*s was playing cards with the Israeli Mob,” he said.
Arenas is due back in court in September.
