"It was just a lot for him to swallow" - Magic Johnson's son EJ reveals how his father reacted to him coming out in 2009
LA Lakers legend and five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson's son has revealed how his father reacted on learning his sexual orientation a decade ago.
Johnson has three children. His first son, Andre, was born in 1981 out of wedlock. A decade later, Johnson married Cookie Kelly and has two kids together, an openly gay son, Earvin III and an adopted daughter Elisa.
Earvin Johson III or EJ came out to his family when he was 17 years old, as reported by Variety. He came out publicly a few years later in 2013 after getting photographed holding hands with a male friend. According to EJ, it was tough for his father to accept his revelation:
"They had to really take that in and digest it. Especially my dad, because he was really the last person to talk to. I think it was just a lot for him to swallow in that conversation. A lot of just going back and forth. And he just was rattling off about things that weren’t particularly nice. But he's not somebody who works great being cornered or surprised," EJ said.
for the cover of @variety, @RaminSetoodeh and i interviewed @MagicJohnson about changing the history of basketball, of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and of his own family and heart. variety.com/2022/tv/featur… https://t.co/RLRFC38na5
Magic Johnson struggled to accept his son's sexual orientation at first. Johnson even expected EJ to become involved in sports but admitted that he saw him playing with dolls and dress-ups.
"When you grow up in team sports, you’re thinking, 'Is he gonna play sports?' And then when I saw that he liked dolls and to play dress-up… 'What are you doing?’ Johnson said.
Magic Johnson on Learning to Accept His Gay Son EJ: ‘He Changed Me’ variety.com/2022/tv/news/m…
Even though it was new to Magic, he would learn to accept EJ for who he was. A few months after moving to New York to study at NYU, Johnson visited his son and repaired their relationship.
"As I grew older, as my wife talked to me, I couldn't judge EJ. I had to accept who he was and who he wanted to be. He actually helped me get there. Because he was so proud. Cookie said, 'Look in the mirror.' I said, 'You’re right.' Because I'm proud of who I am. And he got it from me," Johnson said.
Magic Johnson's career retrospective
After helping Michigan State win the NCAA championship in 1979, Magic Johnson was drafted first overall by the LA Lakers that year. Johnson won his first NBA title in his rookie season before suffering an injury the next year. Magic added four more NBA championships to his resume, in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.
Johnson was the Finals MVP in 1980, 1982 and 1987, while he won the league MVP in 1987, 1989 and 1990. He was a 12-time All-Star but retired prematurely in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV. He returned as a coach in 1994 and a player in 1996.
Now, Johnson is one of the richest athletes in sports history with an estimated $620 million net worth. He's a two-time Hall of Famer, as a player and a member of the 1992 USA "Dream Team." He was also named one of the 75 greatest players in the history of the NBA.