Magic Johnson shares sweet family photo with gay son EJ Johnson
Magic Johnson and his gay son, EJ Johnson. (Getty)
Magic Johnson and his gay son, EJ Johnson. (Getty)
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Magic Johnson has proudly shared a photo of his blossoming family, including his out, gay son, Earvin Johnson III – or EJ Johnson, as he’s known to most.
The businessman and former Los Angeles Lakers player shared a series of photos earlier this week in which he and his large family celebrated the 90th birthday of his mother, Christine Johnson.
After attending the Earvin Johnson Sr. Car Show in the family’s home town of Lansing, Michigan, the clan got dolled up for a party together.
“To top it all off, we had an unbelievable family reunion this weekend! Thank you to all my family from across the country for coming to the family reunion and to celebrate my mother,” the basketball legend wrote on Instagram.
In one photo, Magic Johnson poses with his gay son EJ Johnson to his left, with the model and former Rich Kids of Beverly Hills star rocking a white blouse, white tie and beaded necklace underneath an oversized, David Byrne-esque grey suit.
EJ Johnson came out publicly as gay back in 2013, though he told his father and mother – author Cookie Johnson – several years beforehand.
Initially, Magic was hesitant with his acceptance of EJ’s sexuality, with the latter telling Variety in 2022 that his father “had to really take that in and digest it”.
Yet Magic eventually came around and accepted his son for who he is, telling Variety that having a queer child “changed” him.
“I had to accept who he was and who he wanted to be. He actually helped me get there, because he was so proud,” Johnson shared.
“He changed me… He was so proud. This dude here is just so proud of who he is.”
Ever since EJ came out publicly as gay, Magic Johnson has made it his mission to loudly and proudly support his child.
“I’m proud of EJ, the work that he’s doing, the person that he has become, the work he’s doing around the world,” he told Yahoo! Entertainment back in 2022.
“EJ has saved so many young people’s lives because of him coming out. We get so many letters from around the world saying EJ inspired me to come out to my parents or come out to my friends.”
The following year, in 2023, he marked his son’s 31st birthday with an adorable photo of the pair together at a red carpet event, EJ donning a bedazzled silver robe jacket.
“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! Have a great day,” he wrote in the heartwarming post.
Yet Magic’s vocal support for EJ extends back years: in 2017, he told The New York Times that has always wanted to “protect” his child.
“As a parent, I wanted EJ to know that we loved him and would always love him,” Magic told the publication, reflecting on his initial reaction when EJ came out.
“My job as a father is to protect him. His family and those that know him would always love him, but there would be people that don’t know him and may not approve. Some people may not be nice, but it wasn’t about him. I wanted to prepare him and let him know that I would always support him.”
Since coming out as LGBTQ+ and garnering his own place in the spotlight, EJ Johnson has become known for his extravagant fashion, often being seen out in androgynous garments or flashy, femme looks.
As he grew up, tabloids began to speculate on his gender identity, but in 2017 he reaffirmed that he is content with living life as a man.
On his former reality show EJNYC in the mid 2010s, Johnson said he “thought about” transitioning, but decided against it.
“I’m pretty comfortable with myself,” he told The New York Times in 2017. “That conversation was just about people trying to put me in a box.”
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