"I was illegal alien in America": Gilbert Arenas' wife Melli Monaco voices concern over return after plane disaster

Aside from being married to a former NBA All-Star, Gilbert Arenas' wife Melli Monaco is also a travel influencer. As the two appear to be enjoying a vacation together, she chimed in with her thoughts on some current events.

Over the past two months, there have been numerous plane crashes across the United States. In light of this, Monaco took to Instagram to poll her followers. She posed the question if these recent cases have had an impact on people's mindset to travel.

Despite all that has happened in recent weeks, Gilbert Arenas' wife isn't phased to continue travel. In a later post on her Instagram story Friday, she detailed the only thing that would make her hesitant to leave the country.

"Actually the only thing that can scare me from traveling is immigration," Monaco said on Instagram. "Cause when I was illegal alien in America I couldn't go nowhere. So that would be my only concern."

Via @mellimonaco on Instagram

Before marrying the former NBA star, Monaco grew up in France. The two first met back in 2023, and recently tied the knot in January of 2025.

Monaco's primary platform where she does her influencer work is YouTube, where she has over 779,000 subscribers. She also hosts a podcast titled The Blind Pineapple. Monaco's social media presence is strong, as her Instagram account currently sits at 423,000 followers.

---

Gilbert Arenas' wife co-posts series of wedding photos with former NBA star

Given the timing of her rant, Gilbert Arenas' wife was likely posting from her honeymoon. As mentioned previously, the couple is just weeks removed from tying the knot.

Following the ceremony, Arenas and Monaco posted a series of photos from their ceremony on Instagram. It looked to be an intimate gathering, and the former star point guard couldn't be happier that things are official now.

"I finally did it y'all @mellimonaco is officially Mrs Arenas"

Monaco is now not only Gilbert Arenas' wife but the stepmother of his four children as well. In their time together, she's built a good bond with all of the kids. Monaco regularly posts about them on social media, as they are working hard to follow in their father's footsteps. Arenas' oldest son, Alijah Arenas, seems on track to become another second-generation player in the NBA.

Before tying the knot with Monaco, Arenas enjoyed an NBA career that spanned over a decade. He suited up for multiple franchises, primarily the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards. In his post-basketball career, Arenas has hung around the game as an analyst and podcast host.