Magic Johnson and his second child, EJ, are the “most alike” out of anyone in their family
Magic Johnson often shares that his son, EJ Johnson, changed who he is.
The basketball legend and his wife, Cookie Johnson, welcomed EJ in 1992, and haven’t been shy about expressing how proud they are of their son. EJ, now in his 30s, came out as gay in 2013 and has become a champion of the LGBTQ+ community throughout his career in television and fashion.
Over the years, the father and son have opened up about EJ’s coming out journey and Magic’s path toward embracing and uplifting his second child.
“He made me change,” the NBA All-Star told Shannon Sharpe on a 2022 episode of Club Shay Shay. “It wasn’t he had to adjust, I had to adjust ... I said, ‘Let me tell you something, you’re my son I love you ... I’m supporting that, I’m supporting you.”
Related: All About Cookie Johnson, the Entrepreneur Married to Magic Johnson
In more ways than one, Magic and EJ are cut from the same cloth and have spent the majority of their careers uplifting marginalized voices.
“I think that EJ is really taking charge of his career and making his own decisions, and he knows how and what he wants to get into,” Magic told PEOPLE in 2023. “I’m really proud of him because he’s getting so involved and letting his voice help other people too.”
From his career to what he’s learned from his father, here’s everything to know about Magic Johnson’s son, EJ Johnson.
He was born in 1992
Magic and Cookie welcomed their son, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, on June 4, 1992, in Beverly Hills, Calif. He was named after his father and grandfather.
During the early stages of Cookie’s pregnancy with EJ in 1991, Magic received an HIV diagnosis, sparking fear in the family over a possible transmission.
“I wanted to make sure that she was going to be okay, the baby was going to be okay, and then I can move forward with making sure I was going to be okay,” the NBA legend recalled in a joint interview with his wife on CBS Mornings in 2021.
When Cookie and EJ both tested negative for the virus soon after, Magic decided to speak out on his HIV diagnosis.
Despite the possible pushback, he held a press conference in November 1991 where he became a catalyst in shifting attitudes toward HIV. Although EJ was born at the height of Magic’s public conversations about HIV, he wasn’t made aware of his father’s diagnosis until elementary school.
In a 2017 profile with The New York Times, EJ recounted a moment in school when he was assigned a book report and found a book about his dad in the library.
“The school called my mom and was like, ‘We don’t know if you want him to do the book report because it talks about the HIV,’ ” he said. “I think it was at that point that they told me that he had been sick and he’s a lot better.”
He has two siblings
EJ isn't an only child: His older brother, Andre, was born to Magic and his ex-girlfriend Melissa Mitchell in 1981, and his younger sister, Elisa, was welcomed by Magic and Cookie via adoption in 1994 at age 3.
While Andre prefers to stay out of the spotlight, EJ and Elisa have a particularly close public relationship.
The brother and sister regularly attend red carpets side-by-side and even starred in the E! reality TV show EJNYC together, on which they got candid about boyfriends, friendship and family life.
Related: Magic Johnson's 3 Kids: All About Andre, EJ and Elisa
In honor of Elisa’s 25th birthday in 2019, EJ posted a heartfelt tribute to his sister on Instagram.
“Happy 25th birthday Mz thing @elisajohnson !!! I’m so excited for you as you continue your journey of queen-hood and the accession of your personal power as well as nurturing all your incredible gifts talents and intuition,” he captioned a photo of them.
EJ continued, “May this year be one of the best ones yet and may your dreams continue to manifest into reality. I love you."
EJ came out as gay in 2013
Before leaving for NYU in 2010, EJ decided to come out to his parents, and although Cookie was immediately supportive, Magic initially struggled with accepting his son’s sexuality.
In a 2018 episode ofRed Table Talk, EJ and Cookie told host Jada Pinkett Smith that Magic said “hurtful” words to his son before coming around. “My husband is the kind of person ... he reacts quickly. Everything that came to the top of his head, he just let it out,” Cookie explained.
After Cookie told Magic that his reaction “wasn’t right,” EJ shared that his father went up to him the next day and said, “We’re going to get through this, and I just need time,” and the two cried together.
A few months after his coming out, Magic visited his son at NYU, where they began to repair their relationship.
“I had only been gone for two months,” EJ recalled in a 2022 interview with Variety. “He picked me up at my dorm and I was like, ‘Oh, whatever, hey.’ And he hugged me so hard. He was, like, squeezing all the air out of me. That’s when I knew, there’s nothing but love here.”
In 2013, EJ publicly came out as gay with his family’s support after photos were published of him holding a man's hand while exiting a club. Afterward, he told Gwissues, “I’m reveling in it, and I’m making it work to my advantage.”
He further explained how coming out to his family and friends a few years earlier made the announcement to the public slightly easier, albeit still intense.
Since then, Magic has been vocal about his pride for his child.
“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 said to Variety. “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.”
He worked in reality TV
While attending NYU to study hospitality and event planning, per Teen Vogue, EJ delved into a career in television. In 2014, he joined the cast of the E! reality TV series Rich Kids of Beverly Hills for four seasons.
Two years later, EJ starred in his own spinoff reality show, EJNYC, which followed his life as he moved back to New York City. EJNYC was one of the first reality shows to center around a young LGBTQ+ person of color.
“There wasn’t any show that profiled a young person of color with a different sexual orientation living their life,” EJ told The New York Times. “I’m not just some other rich girl who’s trying to get a show.”
EJ was also a regular news personality for E! News in 2014, joining the team as a fashion commentator and acting as a recurring guest on shows like Fashion Police.
In May 2021, he was announced as part of a reboot for The Proud Family titled The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, as the voice behind the character Michael Collins.
He loves fashion and beauty
EJ has a penchant for fashion and beauty, attending fashion week, speaking at beauty panels and posting his glamorous outfits on Instagram.
His love for fashion started when he was young, with EJ recalling to The New York Times that he enjoyed looking at his mother's clothes and accessories.
“I remember being like, 4 and 5, and playing in my mom’s closet,” he said. “But also asking questions like ‘Who’s this?’ and ‘What’s that?,’ and my mom explaining to me, ‘This is a Chanel and this is a Versace.’ ”
His sister Elisa chimed in, adding, “We used to have these drawing sessions, and EJ’s stick figures always had, like, a Louis Vuitton bag.”
EJ loves to express himself through fashion and beauty and has been vocal about how he hopes his own journey toward self-expression inspires others to do the same.
In a 2019 GQ feature exploring how masculinity is changing, EJ weighed in on the topic, sharing, “If you see someone doing something you’ve never seen before, that shouldn’t be weird. It may not be for you, but don’t demonize it. Don’t diminish that shine.”
“When I started experimenting, in 2010, [male beauty] wasn’t talked about. It’s cool to see it become less stigmatized,” he continued. “I’ve always had an affinity for expressing myself in feminine ways. When I was growing up, it was something I was told to hide. Now I’m a much happier person, and more successful, when I’m expressing myself with my feminine energy.”
He has a close relationship with his dad
According to EJ, he and Magic are the “most alike out of anyone in the family.”
In the 2022 documentary They Call Me Magic, the reality TV star explained how his coming out brought him and his dad closer and made them realize how similar they are.
“It was very powerful for both of us and our relationship continues to just get deeper and deeper every year,” he said. “We are the most alike out of anyone in the family, and I think during that period, we both got to see, honestly, how alike we are.”
EJ explained that there’s a difference between his father’s “Earvin” side and his “Magic” side. He described Earvin as "a homebody, small-town oriented, grounded and very chill," while Magic "loves to dress up and is always the life of the party."
“So I always would make a joke and say I’m definitely a product of Magic — I’m fully Magic’s child. I don’t really identify with Earvin at all,” he said. “Magic and I get along great and I also have the ability to bring that out of him ... I take a lot of pride in the fact that I can do that.”
Magic and Cookie post sweet tributes for EJ’s birthday
Magic and Cookie show a lot of love for their kids on social media and often post heartfelt pictures of EJ.
For his 31st birthday in 2023, Magic uploaded a picture of the two posing on the red carpet with the caption, “Happy Birthday to my son, EJ!! I love your pure heart and creativity! Keep living your truth, it’s what I love about you most!”
The following year, Cookie posted a sweet photo dump on Instagram with snaps of him as a baby.
“Happy Birthday my EJ! Wishing you the best birthday ever,” she wrote. “Continue to be your most fabulous self!! I love and admire you so much. Can’t wait to celebrate with you today.”
He supports his family on red carpets
The Johnsons are no strangers to Hollywood events and often show up for one another to celebrate and support their respective projects.
Ahead of the release of They Call Me Magic, EJ walked the red carpet with his father.
“So proud and excited for the world to witness even more of your glory @magicjohnson,” EJ wrote on Instagram following the premiere. “You constantly astound and astonish me with your intelligence wit and greatness you are worthy of this and all the universe has in store for you.”
He posted several photos from the night, including one with his dad as they posed on the carpet.
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