Former basketball player Gilbert Arenas’ ex-partner, Laura Govan, recently opened up about one of the most painful experiences of her life. In a deeply emotional podcast interview, she spoke about the sexual abuse she faced as a child and how it continues to affect her, even as an adult. Laura’s honesty about her trauma was both heartbreaking and brave, as she described how those experiences have shaped the woman she is today and how they have influenced her past relationships — including the one with Gilbert Arenas.
Laura shared that her ordeal began after a serious car accident that left her with a broken hip and confined to her bed for a year. It was during this period, when she was vulnerable and unable to move, that the abuse began. She said that her stepbrother would come into her room and assault her. The memories of those moments still haunt her, even decades later. She described how small things — like the light from a door crack — can trigger painful flashbacks.
“When I say trauma, I mean I was molested, raped by my stepbrother,” Laura said during the interview. “I didn’t say anything until I was 13. I couldn’t walk. I walked with a limp for years. Even now, I can’t look at a crack of light in a door without seeing footsteps coming toward me. I had to learn to live with that, and I’m still learning at 45.”
Laura also recalled how she finally found the strength to tell her father what had happened. She had hoped for comfort or protection, but his lack of reaction broke her even more. The pain and anger she felt became too heavy to carry, so she turned to basketball as a way to cope. She said the sport became her therapy — her outlet to release her emotions when no one else seemed to understand or believe her.
Even with therapy later in life, Laura admitted that she’s still not fully healed. She said the scars from her past remain a part of her daily life, especially when she looks at her own children. “That’s a scar I feel,” she said quietly. “I feel it more when I see my daughters and sons.”
Despite her ongoing battle with the trauma, Laura continues to focus on her family and healing. Recently, she and Gilbert Arenas came together to support their eldest son, Alijah, after he survived a terrifying accident. His Tesla Cybertruck caught fire, but thankfully, he escaped unharmed. The incident brought the family closer, and Alijah has since moved forward with his dream of playing for the USC Trojans.
Laura’s story is a powerful reminder of how childhood trauma can leave marks that time alone can’t erase. Yet, her strength in speaking up — and her commitment to healing — shows the resilience of someone determined to turn her pain into purpose.