Magic Johnson is not only a legendary basketball player but a father of three. The 62-year-old was first drafted on the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 and continued to play for them for 13 seasons. The basketball legend won countless amounts of MVP Awards and helped his team win many finals.
The professional athlete put his career, marriage and life at risk when he contracted HIV during the height of the AIDS epidemic in 1991, allegedly through unprotected sex. “It was hard because I loved her so much and I hated to hurt her,” he said during an interview with CBS Mornings’ Gayle King. “I’ve played against some of the best basketball players in the world, right? I’ve been in championships. I’ve been in nine [NBA] Finals, so I know pressure. But there was no greater pressure than driving home to tell her.” She was pregnant with their son at the time. Fortunately, she and her son hadn’t contracted the disease and he survived a time when the disease was a practically death sentence. He lived on to be an excellent father to his three children– get to know them below.
Andre Johnson
Magic Johnson and his then-girlfriend Melissa Mitchell welcomed their son Andre Johnson into the world on February 20, 1981. The 40-year-old is a proud husband and father of two, as per his Instagram bio. He also identifies as a believer, chief inspiration officer, innovator and good shepherd. He also hosts a podcast called Please Elaborate. In his downtime, Magic’s oldest son seems to enjoy going to sports games, NFTs and spending time with his family.
He recently honored his dad with a Father’s Day tribute. “Happy Fathers Day dad,” he wrote along with a sweet picture of the two. “Proverbs 22:6 tells us ‘Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ and this word lives through your actions everyday as a father. Thank you for being an amazing father to us and pop pop to Gigi and Avery. I love you and pray that you get some much deserved rest on your special day. ”
EJ Johnson
Earvin Johnson III was named after his father. However, much like Earvin Johnson Jr goes by Magic, his son goes by EJ. Magic’s wife Earlitha “Cookie” Johnson was pregnant with EJ when he found out he had HIV. Fortunately, he was born a healthy baby on June 4, 1992. The 29-year-old is a TV personality and a socialite. He made his television debut when he appeared on Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. His career as a reality TV star continued when he got his own show titled EJNYC. He went on to land an acting gig in With Love and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
EJ came out as gay in 2013 and identifies as gender-fluid while being an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. He appeared on CNN’s This Is Life and opened up about his identity. “I’ve never done anything on television that is this honest and real,” he shared in an Instagram post promoting the segment. “This is something that transcends judgment and ignorance and should be seen as a vehicle to educate and inform people about gender fluidity. I’m am so blessed to help continue the conversation about our community and what it means to truly live your truth.”
Elisa Johnson
Magic Johnson and Cookie Johnson adopted Elisa Johnson when she was just three days old. She has been adamant that she never felt excluded because she was adopted and that her parents have been transparent about her adoption. She even met her biological mom Dawn, which was filmed for her brother’s reality TV show EJNYC.
The 26-year-old grew up with a passion for fashion, studied at FIT and went on to launch her own label Elisa Johnson Co. She specializes in eyewear but also has a clothing line called Melanated. While she grew up in the limelight thanks to her famous father, it was important for her to create her own legacy. “I think that sometimes as a child of someone in the limelight, you feel all eyes are on you,” she told Paper Magazine. “And also it feels sometimes if I fail, then everyone’s going to know and it’s going to be super embarrassing. That played into a lot of my anxiety about launching.
“I think that people go through that in general when they’re launching a brand, but I think I put a lot more pressure on myself because I knew people were watching, but also because my parents invested into this,” she continued. “I wanted to prove in some way to them that I can do this. It’s important for me to have my own thing. I don’t want to be just Magic Johnson’s daughter, I didn’t want to be EJ’s sister. I felt like I was always that person. And so to do this, Elisa Johnson Co. is my own thing.”