Gilbert Arenas may have been a menace on the court, but in his personal life, he’s met his match—and she’s not pulling any punches. Former NBA star Arenas and his fiancée, YouTuber Melli Monaco, embraced the spooky season this Halloween with some unique couples cosplay: Arenas as the ghostly trickster Beetlejuice, and Monaco as the perpetually unimpressed Lydia Deetz. And from the looks of their Instagram photos, the costume might have hit a little too close to home for Monaco.
Dressed in a red wedding gown and full Lydia Deetz mode, Monaco channeled her inner “I don’t want to be here” vibe perfectly. Meanwhile, Arenas, decked out in a bright red suit that screamed undead fashion victim, played his part as the clueless, over-eager groom. The internet, of course, had a field day with it, especially after Monaco responded to a fan’s comment about how funny the photos were with a jab that had us all laughing.
“You know she don’t want to marry him,” Monaco replied, nailing the character and perhaps slipping in some real-life sass. After all, when your relationship kicks off with a livestream proposal in Paris, why stop the theatrics now?
Beetlejuice Meets His Match
For those who missed the movie memo, Beetlejuice only tries to marry Lydia because it’s his one-way ticket out of the netherworld. We’re not saying Arenas is stuck in some existential trap, but if Monaco was trying to channel a reluctant bride, well… mission accomplished.
The couple, who got engaged earlier this year in front of the Eiffel Tower (because of course), seem to be having fun with their engagement—Monaco, at least, is having fun with it on Instagram. But Arenas, ever the self-reflective (and sometimes oversharing) ex-NBA star, has admitted that adjusting to the whole “fiancé” title has been a little, well, scary.
“I didn’t realize I was gonna be nervous,” Arenas said during a livestream on his show No Chill Gil. “Like, I’m saying ‘fiancé,’ and it’s like, wait, I’m somebody’s fiancé now?” Turns out, the guy who once dropped 60 points on Kobe Bryant gets the jitters when it comes to wedding bells. “That’s a scary feeling,” Arenas admitted. Yeah, we imagine so—especially with Monaco out here roasting him on Instagram for the whole world to see.
No Arguments, Just Jabs
Despite the Halloween jabs, Arenas insists that his relationship with Monaco is blissful and—get this—argument-free. In the same livestream, he revealed that he and Monaco have never had a serious fight, claiming that their personalities balance each other out perfectly.
“My flaws are her strengths, and her flaws are my strengths,” Arenas explained, sounding like someone who’s been binge-watching couple’s therapy sessions on YouTube. “We get to teach each other, and it’s just been… easy.”
Easy? Maybe. But considering Monaco’s quick wit and Arenas’ knack for turning everything into a punchline, we’re not ruling out a friendly roast or two along the way. The fact that Arenas first asked her out on a livestream kind of sets the tone for their whole relationship—everything’s out in the open, whether it’s proposing in front of a global landmark or poking fun at each other on social media.
Life After the NBA: From Courts to Cameras
These days, both Arenas and Monaco are living the digital dream, making their mark on YouTube as content creators. If you thought Arenas’ antics stopped when he retired from the NBA, think again—now, his life is an open book, and Monaco is co-authoring some of the funniest chapters.
As for their Halloween shenanigans, it’s safe to say that Monaco, in character as Lydia, gave Arenas a glimpse of what marriage might look like if he doesn’t keep things interesting. But judging by their dynamic, it seems like these two have found their own brand of harmony—one Instagram roast at a time.
So, while Beetlejuice might have failed to get Lydia down the aisle, Gilbert Arenas might just succeed with Monaco—if he can survive the wedding jabs long enough to say “I do.”
Stay tuned for more sports and relationship updates—because in the world of Gilbert Arenas, there’s never a dull moment.
