Cookie Johnson, neé Earlitha Kelly, has been married to basketball legend Magic Johnson for 25 years years, having dated him for 12 years prior to that. They were only married for 45 days and recently found out they were expecting their first child when Magic was diagnosed HIV positive. Cookie has just written her first book called Believing in Magic in which she discusses her relationship with Magic and raising their family that includes her stepson Andre and their children Earvin III, known as EJ, and daughter Elisa. Among the topics she covers is how they came to accept EJ’s homosexuality. Cookie has known that her son was gay since he was 13. EJ came out to Magic later and it sounds like Magic had a harder time with it than Cookie did.
In Cookie Johnson’s book, “Believing in Magic,” the basketball superstar’s wife recalls how she and her husband struggled with their son EJ’s sexuality.
Cookie says teachers at EJ’s preschool noted that he gravitated to wearing Disney princess costumes from the dressup box. Cookie attempted to have EJ play sports — but while other boys were yelling, “Hit the ball to me!” EJ would be in the outfield picking flowers.
Eventually, Cookie began surreptitiously purchasing Barbie dolls for EJ and found he was drawn to the villains like Cruella DeVil — “They had capes, dramatic makeup, and attitude. Swagger.” Cookie only allowed her boy to play with them in his room, unbeknownst to her Laker husband. However one day Magic came upon his son playing dolls and snatched them away, decreeing, “I don’t want EJ playing with these dolls anymore. Boys don’t do that.”
On a family vacation to Hawaii when EJ was 13, Cookie overheard her son and a pal catcalling boys in bathing suits and realized her son was gay.
When EJ insisted on telling his father, Magic told him that although he still loved him, he was “very disappointed” and didn’t approve. However the next day Magic apologized and told EJ that he was in fact very proud of him and “you have my full support, no matter what.”
I applaud their candor on addressing this. Most parents want to believe they never let their children down. Cookie and Magic are devout Christians and said that their faith was both the reason that they struggled with EJ’s sexuality and where they found the strength to accept it. I admire that they put the onus on themselves and not on EJ. I’m impressed that Magic apologized for his hurtful words the next day. Many a proud person would have found an excuse not to. EJ stars on the reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. He seems like a blast.
Photo credit: WENN and Fame/Flynet Photos
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