Gilbert Arenas has never been known for soft language or careful storytelling. Years after being away from the NBA scene, the former All-Star revisited one of the ugly phases of his personal life. What started as a beautiful engagement quickly unraveled, evolving into a calculated move that could land in court.
Later on, Arenas explained the case. He expressed regret over a $400,000 ring that led him to a decision that shocked fans. This incident sparked social media chaos and a legal battle that ultimately resulted in a favorable outcome for him. Even though the case is resolved, Fan can’t forget this story.
Gilbert Arenas Breaks Down the Ring Swap That Led to a Lawsuit
Arenas revealed his engagement to Laura Govan ended just eight days after he proposed on her birthday. The ring, which he revealed cost roughly $395,000, suddenly became a source of regret after the breakup.
The NBA star said that frustration drove his next move. He revealed that he deliberately rekindled the relationship with one objective in mind. Over a four-month reconciliation period, he had a replica ring created, reportedly at a cost of approximately $10,000. During that time, he switched the fake ring with the original without Govan noticing.
“When my girl and I broke up, I was like, ‘That was a f***ing waste of money. I want my $400K ring back. So I had a f∆ke ring made to switch it out,” Arenas said in an interview with DJ Vlad in 2024.
NBA star Gilbert Arenas proposed to his girl with a $400K ring, then they broke up 8 days later.. They eventually made up & he faked a relationship with her for a few months so he could switch the ring out with a fake version. She sued him and lost.
"When my girl and I broke up,… pic.twitter.com/xaRXkpA9Ar
— Hoops (@Hoopss) December 27, 2025
The situation escalated after the final breakup. Arenas claimed Govan began posting on social media, suggesting she had made over $500,000 from their relationship. To counter that narrative, Arenas posted a photo of the original ring on social media. According to him, that post exposed the switch and led Govan to realize the ring she had was not real.
That discovery led directly to legal action. Govan filed a lawsuit accusing Arenas of wrongdoing and demanded compensation. By that point, Arenas said the original ring had already been sold. He revealed that nearly $100,000 from the sale was used to pay legal fees tied to multiple court proceedings.
The case did not end in Govan’s favor. That decision let Arenas keep the ring’s worth without paying it back. He walked free after judges threw out the case. Online chatter exploded: some called it sharp thinking, others saw a moral gray area. Reactions shifted between praise and doubt, never settling on a single view.
Arenas and Govan began dating in 2002 and share four children. Their relationship officially ended in 2014, but the dispute over the ring lingered long after.
Since then, Arenas has moved on with his life. He is now married and has largely kept his current relationship away from controversy. He has acknowledged that the episode reshaped how he approaches money and personal boundaries. The ring itself is no longer part of his life, financially or emotionally. A seemingly harmless lie became the most disturbing personal story associated with a former NBA star.
