After “Salivating” Over Guys in Hawaii, Magic Johnson’s Son EJ Drew Eye-Opening Reactions from His Parents

Magic Johnson has faced a series of massive challenges off the court which shaped his life in crucial ways. The Los Angeles Lakers legend’s NBA career was cut short due to an HIV diagnosis in 1991. Another crossroad that Magic had to face was when his son EJ finally came out of the closet about his sexuality and he had a difficult time accepting the news. Notably, the revelation from Johnson’s son EJ drew eye-opening reactions from his parents, after a Hawaii trip where the then-teenager was caught ‘salivating’ over boys.

Back in 2016, EJ Johnson interviewed his mother Cookie Johnson during a promotion of her new memoir ‘Believing in Magic’. During the interview, Cookie Johnson opened up about her and Magic’s reaction after finding out the truth about their son’s sexuality.

EJ’s truth left parents Cookie and Magic Johnson emotional

In an interview with The Insider, Cookie Johnson shared that she initially felt that her son was going through a phase. However, one day she came to a realization after noticing the happiness in EJ’s eyes while playing with his sister’s dolls. Cookie Johnson reckoned that after the incident she stopped pushing EJ into sports and let him play with his dolls. However, Cookie knew that Magic Johnson would not be as comfortable with the reality as she was. 

Further, EJ shared that his family first talked about his sexuality during a trip to Hawaii when he was a teenager. The 30-year-old revealed that he was attracted to boys walking around in the sun in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Cookie Johnson revealed, “Yes and you were yeah salivating.”

Cookie further shared that she was ready to support EJ’s sexuality because of her love for her son. After her open conversation with him about his sexuality, she went to Magic Johnson to talk about the situation. However, the five-time NBA champ did not take the news as well as Cookie and had a stern reaction to the whole situation. 

Meanwhile, Cookie Johnson claimed that she was mad at Magic for his reaction to EJ’s sexuality. However, EJ disclosed that he eventually had a conversation with Magic Johnson the next day. Fortunately, the Lakers legend ended up apologizing for the way he reacted.

READ MORE: “It Can Happen to E.J. and Andre”: Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Reveals He’s Warned His Sons of Racism

In response to EJ’s revelation, his mother shared her emotional reaction to the happy conclusion, “I cried because it was just, you know, the most amazing thing that he was the last piece and now you can be free to be who you were.” 

Magic’s loving family

Magic married Cookie just before first retirement from the league in 1991. Their first son EJ was born in 1992. After that in 1995, the couple adopted their daughter Elisa Johnson. Moreover, Magic had another son named Andre Johnson in 1981 with his former partner Melissa Mitchell.

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What do you think of Magic and Cookie Johnson’s reaction to the truth about their son’s sexuality? Let us know in the comments below!