Currently, the Johnsons' family resides in a million-dollar house in Southern California. In 1981, Magic welcomed his first child, Andre Johnson, with a woman named Melissa Mitchell. But as he explained in 2011, he saw this issue as being bigger than himself. Cookie recalls, "I just thought, 'forget it. As a result, Cookie had to take a test to assure their safety, and it came back negative both for herself and their child. Magic said. He was an intense competitor, leading his high school team to a state championship in 1977 and Michigan State University to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 1979handing the only defeats of that season to Larry Bird and Indiana State. Today we will discuss about Magic Johnson: Birthday| First child| Wife| Rings. Cookie Johnson and Magic Johnson tied the knot in 1991 in a ceremony that was held in Lansing, Michigan. Maddox: I think people are still just afraid. Get our L.A. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Brennan: I didnt realize that Anthony Fauci, Dr. Fauci . Pushed it left. He really was beyond reproach, said George Fox, his high school coach. Cooke, however, wasnt one to be swayed easily. Advertisement. "And then I meet Cookie first, and the rest is history. Two of them were with Cookie after they are married and one was with Melissa Mitchell, who Magic dated during a break with Cookie. Magic has another son, Andre, Earvin Magic Johnson with William Novak, My Life (1992), Leon Neyfakh et al., Fiasco: The AIDS Crisis (2022), Jeff Pearlman, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s (2013), Sarah Schulman, Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 (2021). EJ starred in the E! That was the advice presented to him by Jerry West, the outgoing coach, who wasnt fully convinced a 6-foot-9 point guard would function in the fast-paced NBA. Ervin Magic Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player and the former president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie, is 62 years old, but she recently proved that she could pass for a woman half that age when she took to her Instagram page with a picture that showcased her youthful body. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. One of the focal points of the show is the Lakers drafting of Earvin Magic Johnson. Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I was in Jamaica at a golf tournament. The last place he wanted to go was Chicago, what with its awful winters (he was never one for the snow) and perennially dreadful basketball teams. But the team has done just fine without you.. What is the height of Magic Johnson? He stated that Cookie and their unborn are safe from the disease and that he would dedicate his life to battle this deadly disease. Cookie and Magic first met in 1977 at the Michigan State University during their freshman year. Los Angeles, meanwhile, was but a dream to Johnson, who rightly envisioned a paradise of palm trees and 80-degree days and gorgeous women in wallet-size bikinis. Wed love to have you, Earvin, and I hope youll play here. She thought it was a death sentence because thats all we knew.. He even just made his own Lakers series. I just remember thinking, It, it cant be true. It was awful. Since Johnson and his wife running a campaign as well as a charity for HIV patients. Earvin "Magic" Johnson knew he wanted to be with his wife Cookie since the first night they met. Maddox: Youre easily an intermediate basketball mind by this point in the season. The Jennifer Hudson Show airs weekdays. She attended an all-black school called Council Training School. Magic credited Cookie for always being in his corner and supporting him. With the 115th pick, the Chicago Bears selected Texas running back Roschon Johnson, a player who at Texas might've been "the star'' had Bijan Robinson (who went No. Now, its almost three decades of their marriage, but the spark in their relationship is like day one. When Magic Johnson revealed his HIV diagnosis to his new wife, Cookie Johnson, in 1991, she didnt turn and run away. While Johnson can now attest to 30 years of life after being diagnosed with HIV, his journey living with the disease has been far from easy. Magic was drawn to Cookie almost immediately when they began dating as college students at Michigan State University. Claressa Shields: Net Worth| Baby| MMA| Sherdog. EJ Johnson is the first child of Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson. Fullilove: There are papers that have been written about the Magic Johnson effect. Time and again, Magic Johnson has proven to be a family man through and through. Fortunately, EJ was born without complications, but the NBA superstar was lambasted by many for putting the lives of his wife and kid in danger. Jeff Pearlman: I was in college. His full name is Earvin III Johnson. The whole town was just I remember. I am a student and a blogger all alone, Gurmeet. Being afraid to kiss them. I forget, it was like in the Athletic or the Ringer or something about Fauci being a point guard at the beginning of the pandemic. Syrus Yarbrough: I was playing my first year at Santa Monica College. I said, 'Listen, you and I gotta get to know each other,' " Magic said. It was the right thing to do. Outside of Junior, shes easily the most recognizable and popular face of the aforementioned foundation. Her childhood, like Magics, was spent with a big and loving family; Cookie hung out a lot with her cousins. When Hudson, 41, expressed skepticism about how Cookie might have reacted to her college roommate trying to date Magic instead, the NBA legend reminded the host that this coincidentally happened before Magic and Cookie actually met. So, lets find out more about her then, shall we? Before the Magic of the Showtime years, however, the Lakers needed a little luck. On Tuesday, Magic, 63, appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show and told host Jennifer Hudson about "the beautiful situation" of a mutual friend introducing him to Cookie, also 63, during a party at Michigan State University in the late '70s. I am a 18-year-old teen who loves sports ? Magic Johnson raises his arms in response to the crowd at a Lakers victory rally May 17, 1980, in Los Angeles. I cant eat this, he said. Because I think he really realized in that moment, back in 91, how finite it all is. Cookie Johnsons repertoire isnt just limited to speeches that inspire people. The former NBA player is also a former player of the Los Angeles Lakers star team. Odabire moete u bilo kojem trenutku promijeniti klikom na veze na nadzornu plou za zatitu privatnosti, koje se nalaze na naim web-mjestima i u naim aplikacijama. For more from Magic and Cookie Johnson on how they coped with his HIV diagnosis, pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. At a time when HIV was still seen as a death sentence, Magic Johnson shocked the world by announcing he was infected. "Ever since the day I laid eyes on you in 1978 I knew you were the one for me. Brennan: I mean, a lot of other countries, like just in general, the government provides healthcare. Magic left the nightclub with Cookies phone number. He said, This woman here, God let me know why I married her, why he brought us together. Being afraid to hug them. Brennan: Right. Schulman: If you were infected with HIV today, there are medications that you can take that can give you a normal lifespan, but there are people all over the world who cant access those medications. He said last year that telling Cookie was the "hardest" thing he ever had to do. At the time, league rules mandated that the Jazz had to compensate Los Angeles with players, draft picks or money. Its a tension you always feel. There have been other claims that Magic is the father of more children from secret romantic relationships but none have been proven. And we live in a culture that I think, even though its very different from the one that existed in 1981 or 1991, we still sort of cling to a pretty prudish approach to sexual health, where so much of the messaging is more around shaming or punishing people for their sexual choices rather than giving them the tools and information and resources to, for example, get tested regularly so that you know if you contract an STI and can notify your partners. But there was no greater pressure than driving home to tell her.". It did not last, but it does describe the shock of the announcement and the awareness that people had that maybe the stigma, maybe the stereotypes of who gets infected with HIV, are a wee bit too simplistic. In honor of Fathers Day last year, she posted a photo of Magic, Cookie, Gigi and Andre, along with an emotional tribute to them. Magic Johnson is one of the most popular names around the world when it comes to American basketball. He was largely ostracized by some of his friends, colleagues and fans. The mainstream press had almost no coverage. Cookie and Magic's first child was named EJ, who has become an influential TV celebrity. Arlitha Cookie Johnson was born on January 20, 1959, in Alabama. Though Mrs. Johnson does not have any income source, she shares a jaw-dropping net worth of $600 million with her husband. Dr. Anthony Fauci, shown in 2004, helped treat Magic Johnson after the Laker stars HIV diagnosis in 1991. Sand dabs!, Johnson glanced at his father, leaned close and whispered, I dont know what a sand dab is., Cooke was nonplussed. Matt Brennan: That was Robert Wade, Rob and Mary Weiss, Jim Hecht, Max Borenstein, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Syrus Yarbrough and Jeff Pearlman remembering the day Magic Johnson announced this diagnosis. Maddox: And Im Kareem Maddox, professional basketball player and podcaster. The When she was about six years old, Cookies family moved to Detroit, Michigan. Cookie Johnson was worried about Magic, but supportive. Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie, is 62 years old, but she recently proved that she could pass for a woman half that age when she took to her Instagram page with a picture that showcased her youthful body. And let me remind you that the Lakers have made the playoffs seventeen times in the last nineteen years. The kid sitting before him was a 100,000-foot-high neon sign screaming see the Lakers! Today, the couple lives in Beverly Hills, California, and she spends time with friends and family apart from making appearances as a motivational speaker. But in a 2011 interview with the L.A. Times Bill Plaschke, Magic Johnson himself says he never thought that. Check your local listings for airtimes. He previously served as TV editor at Paste Magazine, and his writing has also appeared in Indiewire, Slate, Deadspin and numerous other publications. Maddox: Yeah, I mean, I was 2 years old when he did his press conference and when he was diagnosed, so I couldnt tell you when those words actually made sense to me. He now seemed to realize it would never happen. The first thing Johnson noticed was the awful smell. The NBA star welcomed son Andre Johnson with an ex-girlfriend, Melissa Mitchell, in 1981, before getting back together with Cookie. Read an exclusive excerpt in this weeks issue of PEOPLE. Terms of Use, Cookie Johnson and love of her life, Magic Johnson. 12:46 pm ET, Five biggest questions for Lakers-Warriors, Draymond: Sabonis wouldn't shake hands after Game 7, Heat's Butler plays through rolled ankle in Game 1 win, NBA picks: Best bets for Monday, including C's-Sixers, Joel Embiid (knee) doubtful for Game 1 vs. Celtics, NBA DFS picks, lineups, advice, May 1 strategy, Magic Johnson opens up on 30 years with HIV, Dubs' beautiful game turns to brute force, 76ers' Embiid (knee) doubtful for Game 1 vs. C's, Green: Sabonis wouldn't shake hands after Game 7, One playoff stat shows historic level of NBA parity. Furthermore, Cookie once started a denim company, but it was reported to have closed down after six years. Ive worked in a factory my whole life for what hes offering you for one year! Earvin Sr. said. At the time, the face of the Lakers was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a moody soul who brooded a hundred times for every forced smile. Oh, and that smile that blinding, all-glowing smile. Brennan: We cant ignore the fact that by coming out as HIV positive at a time before the development of effective treatments, when the disease was still seen as a death sentence that predominantly affected gay men, Magic Johnson changed the public face of HIV. But he was older, and he came to us and immediately tore his Achilles. Not to mention, Johnson has made $24,560,000 as NBA career earning playing from 19791991, 1996 with Los Angeles Lakers. I've been in championships. Its still the toughest thing Ive ever had to do in my life: @MagicJohnson says that he hated having to tell his wife about his HIV diagnosis. The news came over a transistor radio, and people started screaming. What is the salary of Magic Johnson? The accompanying smile was that of an eight-year-old securing a Happy Meal. Novelist and AIDS historian Sarah Schulman, who reported on the crisis from the start, described the consequences of this stigmatization of the disease. Magic Johnson, as Arvin Johnson, Jr., (born August 14, 1959, Lansing, Michigan, U.S.), American basketball player who led the National Basketball Association (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers to five championships. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nba | pageType: stories | "She was one of the last people [there]. Pizza! Johnson said. And now the preferred terminology for someone whos HIV positive is someone living with HIV. I think Magic, as you point out, becomes kind of an emblem of hes someone who didnt just survive getting HIV, but has thrived in the time since. That is a big chunk of that demographic in that time period, you know, thinking about it as a lost generation. One month after their wedding, Magic was diagnosed with HIV. The organization has been one of the biggest contributors to the study and prevention of HIV and AIDS for more than 30 years. Actually, it was the other way around. Johnson: It was a difficult decision just to go public because [my wife] Cookie and I had to decide, you know, and so finally we said, You know what, its the right thing to do. And then it wasnt difficult. "I've played against some of the best basketball players in the world, right? Brennan: So Magic changed the face of the AIDS crisis. A whole bunch of heterosexual men, Black and white, suddenly go, Damn. reality show titled Rich Kids of Beverly Hills from 2014 to 2016. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Gave. Wed love to, replied Rod Thorn, the Bulls general manager, who was sitting inside the teams offices on the thirteenth floor of a Michigan Avenue building. Here we brought you interesting facts about Magic Johnson's wife and their love story. Cookie went on to help her husband get used to his new life while attending to her duty as a mother. She was dressed in a $678 Dolce&Gabbana polka dot swimsuit with a plunging neckline that revealed just a slice of glowing cleavage. Hes good. Supposedly he was doing this every few months. In June, Andre posted a photo of his familystepmom Cookie includedat Gigis sixth grade graduation. The next day, Cooke and Johnson negotiated back and forth until, finally, a deal was reached. Like you had to come up with a kind of science-fiction narrative in order to make sense of him living for years after the diagnosis, because that was how unbelievable that notion sounded in 1991. [She] slapped me really hard, Magic tells PEOPLE. At the very least. Lets know how many NBA Championship rings does Magic Johnson have. Ive been a competitor my whole life. I just watched her dance and I said, Ive got to get to know that woman. . Hes New York City. Also, some of those countries are a little bit less prudish, as you put it, about the way they talk about sexual health and therefore it fitting into the rest of their nationalized healthcare. Here he is in that 1991 press conference: Johnson: I think sometimes we think, Well, only gay people can get it. And here I am saying that it can happen to anybody. Andre is now married. A statue of Magic Johnson resides outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles. Sitting at a table inside the Forums Trophy Room, Johnson was in town for lunch, sure, but really to feel out Cooke and the Lakers. In the over 30 years since his diagnosis, Johnson and his wife, Cookie, have repeatedly affirmed that he contracted HIV through sexual intercourse. Were still those kids from Michigan. Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly, 63, was born in Huntsville, Alabama. Magic Johnson biography, married, wife, earlitha kelly, stats, It was difficult. Upon retirement, he runs several businesses, worked for NBC as a commentator as well as coached Lakers. And I think it, I mean, it goes back to issues of power. They Refused to Fight for Russia. Also, Cookie is step-mother to Andre Johnson, who was born to Magic's past-relationship with Melissa Mitchell in 1981. Were going to have some marvelous fish!. AIDS meant death. Fine, said Chick Hearn, the announcer, who also worked as an assistant general manager with the team. Id like to suggest that everything weve done since 1990 has really been at least in part, in public health, based on what we learned by watching what happened with Magic Johnson. Syrus Yarbrough, who was in our montage at the top of the episode, remembers some of them: Yarbrough: There was all these rumors that flow around, Oh, hes got a lot of money, so he flies over to Europe and they suck all the blood out of his body. On the drive to the hotel that evening, Earvin Sr. lit into his son. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, [2] [3] Johnson played 13 seasons for the Lakers and was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and 2021. Dont be greedy, son.. "The key moment was when Cookie took the test and the results came back that her and the baby was fine," the retired NBA star told King, adding he was "scared to death" beforehand. Jeannie [Buss] made him run the Lakers; he quit that. Where Johnson was at his best electrifying the crowd with his basketball skills, Cookie flourished as an inspirational speaker. Even in New York City, theres a small number of people every year who die of AIDS because theyre diagnosed in the emergency room because usually theyre homeless or theyre completely outside of the healthcare system. He grabs every bit of life. Cookies steady nature also proved to be vital when E.J., now 24, came out as gay. The $500,000 contract made Johnson the highest-paid rookie in league history. There were other people who reacted in completely different ways, right? What is Magic Johnsons wifes first name? Magic Johnson's wife admitted later in life that her most horrifying moment came when the LA Lakers great publicly announced he had HIV. Brennan: I think those rumors are a product of just how unbelievable it seemed that he would be able to survive. When Larry OBrien, the NBAs commissioner, prepared to flip the coin inside the leagues New York City headquarters, the Bulls and Lakers felt their futures momentarily hovering in midair. Precisely what she seemed to be doing as she reclined on the yacht under the cloudy blue sky. Magic Johnson stands with his parents and NBA Commissioner Larry OBrien after being selected No. The first time they met was at a club before Christmas break, and Magic, who was already a basketball star around campus at the time, recalls watching her dance all night. Brennan: Oh, I totally missed that. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, at Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the team's 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. She later completed her bachelors degree in textile clothing from Michigan State University, where she met Magic Johnson. WebAnswer (1 of 4): Before he got married. What are you talking about? he said. Brennan: Yeah. Magic Johnson only has three confirmed children in real life. The couple also later adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. He was born on June 4, 1992. Huntsville, Alabama native, Cookie, was born on 20th January 1959, under the star sign Aquarius. Maddox: I imagine that the speed of development after 91, in terms of the research on HIV and AIDS, advanced more quickly than it had before. It's because of this that Magic Johnson's wife has made a huge difference in educating people and funding programs to prevent the dreaded disease. Brennan: Dr. Fullilove described Magics impact in the broad strokes, too. Magic Johnsons height is 2.06 m (6 9). So, when Johnson met Cookes rebuff with an even stronger one I guess Ill be going back to school the owner cracked. I was playing basketball at Venice Beach, said Pat OBrien, at the time a reporter for KNXT-TV in Los Angeles. "It proved to be the right decision," Magic Johnson said. Are you proud that I actually remembered what a point guard is? But, hey, Johnson was hungry. Earvin Johnson was perfectly nicknamed. Cookie and Magic first And this was very, very, very detrimental. That was the only response we had. I mean, its as a straight man, I had never thought about that. The year was 1991, and there was little information on the subject of HIV. Brennan: What struck me about Magic was that he was, like, the one person where it didnt seem I dont want to say that it didnt seem like a big deal because I dont want to diminish what he went through, but he made it seem manageable in a way that I think contrasted very sharply with the other messages that we were getting about HIV and AIDS in the 1990s. I think the thing that strikes me the most about hearing that montage is the phrase death sentence being repeated over and over. He had it.. Brennan: And the various styles of point guard over the generations? Brennan: In the United States, we are taught to keep the fact that we are sexual beings to ourselves and to feel ashamed about sex and contracting an STI, which can happen to anyone, like, its not anything to be ashamed of. And for something you love doing! He didnt just announce that he had the virus he made clear that he wanted his announcement to protect other people. Despite the prevailing racial tensions in the country during her childhood, Cookie was shielded from it for the most part. pic.twitter.com/JFTbV0U9YZ. I put myself through school, and if I could do it, you certainly can. This is a death sentence. Its not what youre asking for, but its a hell of a lot of money. They spent the night chatting together like old friends, and that was the moment she found herself falling in love. People who said all kinds of things about him and the way he was living his life and whether or not he deserved to get HIV, which is obviously a terrible thing to say. So theres some voices that are just kind of outsized in the States, and a lot of that stems from politics, for sure. She is an entrepreneur and author. Plaschke: I think he thought he was going to be dead. I was sick. Magic Johnson (15) dribbles around Dream Team teammate David Robinson during the Olympics in August 1992. Another pause. As impressive as he was on tape, soaring past defenders, connecting on impossible no-look passes, spinning left, driving right, he was significantly more dazzling in person. The Magics eldest son, Andre, was born in 1981, two years after his father joined the NBA for the first time. Yes! Magic Johnson has remained a central part of the Lakers franchise in his life since, serving as a coach and executive, as well as a player when he came out of retirement for the 1996 season. I knew that she was a special woman when I told her she could leave and she decided to stay with me and support me, he adds. He didnt have to announce that he was HIV positive. Do you know how much that fish costs?, If its OK with you, Mr. Cooke, I think Id rather have a hamburger and some French fries, Johnson said softly. the Los Angeles Lakers dominance in the NBA. Maddox: And 126,000 were over how many years, roughly? He was in the prime of his career with the Lakers, and had just married his wife, Cookie, who was pregnant with their first child, EJ. There was, however, the siren call of the NBA and specifically the siren call of Jack Kent Cookes thick wallet. Those are the two things that I, you know, the kind of thing where you remember exactly where you were when you heard about it. Beside him at the podium is his wife of only two months and the soon-to-be mother of his son, Cookie Johnson. Brennan: Were talking about gender disparities. I think that stigma still prevents a lot of people from seeking regular testing and treatment. I love it! Brennan: What were talking about when were talking about those disparities is who has power and who doesnt. Magic and Cookie wed in Sept. 1991, after some ups and downs in their relationship. Stephanie Petit is a Royals Writer and Reporter at PEOPLE. Magic Johnson, left, with World Health Organization official Michael Merson and Sasagawa Health Foundation founder Ryoichi Sasagawa before a 1993 AIDS symposium in Tokyo. Brennan: Were talking about economic disparities. Brennan: And he was right. Gail was great, said Bill Bertka, the Jazz vice president of basketball operations. In Episode 9 of Binge Sesh, hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox explore the defining moment that opens HBOs Winning Time: Magic Johnsons 1991 diagnosis with HIV. On September 14, 1991, Magic Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. The Bulls played in dumpy Chicago Stadium, and put forth an uninspired roster highlighted by the likes of Andre Wakefield and Wilbur Holland. Most people heard an HIV diagnosis as a quote unquote death sentence. Brennan: Were you aware of Magic Johnson as someone who was living with HIV when you were growing up in the 90s? Magic Johnson is now 62 years old (August 14, 1959). And by far, marrying you was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Aware that Abdul-Jabbar, arguably the NBAs best player, was making $650,000 annually, Johnson confidently uttered, Somewhere around $600,000 would be ideal plus, I need an education allowance so I can finish at Michigan State., Cooke was not amused.

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