Knowing more about Magic Johnson's wife Cookie and how she met the 5x NBA Champion and LA Lakers legend
Magic Johnson is one of the most popular players in NBA history. During his 13-year professional career, the 6-foot-9 point guard was very entertaining to watch. He spent his entire career with the LA Lakers and won five championship rings.
Cookie Johnson, his wife, has supported him for more than four decades. The two met before the talented basketball player entered the NBA and have been together ever since.
This article will reveal everything you need to know about Magic Johnson's wife, including the details about their relationship and marriage. As many NBA fans are aware, Magic has dealt with some serious health issues, but his wife was always there to support him.
Magic Johnson met his wife in 1977
Magic was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. He started playing basketball as a child and eventually became one of the most talented young players in the nation. The star player decided to stay in his home state and attend Michigan State college in 1977.
Magic Johnson achieved a lot of success playing basketball at Michigan State. However, this is also where he met Cookie, who'd eventually become his wife.
Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly is an entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist. She's also a successful clothing designer who's created CJ by Cookie Johnson, a popular jeans line.
Cookie and Magic Johnson met at a nightclub and revealed that she began falling in love with him on their first date. The two got along so well that they felt like they had known each other for many years.
Just a year later, Magic was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the first overall pick. He was a fantastic player who took the league by storm. Unfortunately, he and Cookie had trouble staying together in a long-distance relationship, which is why they had numerous breaks.
In 1981, Magic Johnson fathered a child with another woman, Melissa Mitchell. The basketball star eventually got back together with Cookie and the two married in 1991.
Marriage, retirement and separation
The couple married in Los Angeles in September 1991. Unfortunately, just two months later, the basketball superstar stepped away from basketball due to HIV. Magic was at the peak of his basketball career, yet he couldn't keep playing.
The Lakers point guard had many sexual partners during his career, which is what caused him to contract the disease. Considering that only a small percentage of heterosexual men contracted HIV back then, there were rumors that Magic Johnson was homosexual or bisexual. He denied these claims.
In 1992, Magic Johnson became a father for the second time. Cookie gave birth to EJ Johnson, who eventually became a TV personality. The couple adopted a daughter in 1995, a couple of months before Johnson's return to the NBA.
Things between Cookie and Magic took a turn for the worse in 2001 as they separated. Fortunately, their separation lasted only two weeks as they reconciled shortly after.
More than two decades have passed since their separation and the two have had many amazing moments since then.