WHEN MAGIC JOHNSON’S SON CAME OUT, HIS REACTION SHOCKED THE WORLD

Magic Johnson is one of the most famous and beloved sports stars in history. First rising to fame as a basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, he had a long and varied career and is often regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.

But in recent years, it’s been his son EJ who has taken some of the spotlight. He first burst onto the scene as a young and fabulous socialite, before media interest in his life propelled his private life into everyone’s business.

And when EJ Johnson finally came out as gay, his famous father didn’t react in the way we all might have expected.

Famous Father

It can’t be easy growing up in the public eye, especially when you are thrust into the spotlight thanks to the fame and notoriety of not yourself, but your parents.

And that’s how it must have been for the young EJ Johnson, whose father Magic Johnson is often regarded as one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time.

For Magic Johnson, his rise to fame was gradual and also sought after, whereas for his son, it came upon him really without his doing.

However, the way that these two famous faces dealt with their notoriety was very different—in more ways than one.

Great Heights

Magic Johnson is truly a giant of basketball in more ways than one. Not only does he stand at a colossal 6 foot 9, but he is one of the most famous and successful players in the NBA’s history. He is a five-time NBA champion, a 12-time (yes, 12!) NBA All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA First Team, and he also made the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Image by Dave Allocca/Starpix/Shutterstock

Not only that, but he’s well known for his work as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster, and motivational speaker, as well as raising awareness for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex—an issue incredibly close to his heart.

Tough Times

Even though Magic Johnson is best known for his amazing achievements on the basketball court, he has also done some pretty momentous things outside of his sporting career, as well.

Most notably is his work as an advocate and speaker on issues surrounding HIV and AIDS.

And this wasn’t just a random issue, but one that’s very close to his heart—as in the 1990s he himself was diagnosed with HIV.

Since his diagnosis, Johnson has achieved a great deal in raising awareness and destabilizing the stigmas still existing around these conditions.

Happy News

Magic Johnson retired from professional basketball to concentrate on fighting his disease and raising awareness of it throughout the world. But that wasn’t the only reason he had decided it was time to step away from the court—there was another, happier impetus.

Because in 1992, Johnson and his wife Earlitha Kelly welcomed a child, a son named Earvin Johnson III, known to his friends and family as EJ.

Little did the new parents realize that their bundle of joy would grow up to be a star all of his own accord—and have his own public battles with the media.

Media Glare

Growing up with such a famous father can’t be easy for anyone, especially when it is a super popular sports star such as Magic Johnson.

The young EJ Johnson had to deal with a media that was not only fascinated with him, but also with his father as a figure of what they considered the correct expression of masculinity.

And so, when he grew up and found himself experimenting with how to express his sexuality and gender, the media was not there to be supportive and helpful.

In fact, the reporters were about to cause some serious problems.

Out and About

For EJ Johnson, he had always been used to the paparazzi following him round and papping pictures of him and his family. But in 2013, when Johnson was only 20 years old, they intruded on his life in a way that would change his world forever.

Because he was papped while out and about with his boyfriend, and the two of them were holding hands.

TMZ ran with this story and effectively outed EJ Johnson to the world, rather than waiting for him to talk about his sexuality when he was ready.

Home Comforts

As you can imagine, this was a terrible invasion of privacy. Imagine someone you don’t even know, taking a picture of you and your significant other, and then using it to announce your relationship to the world—without even asking your permission first!

But for EJ Johnson, despite the violation of his rights, he wasn’t fussed about his sexuality being revealed—as he was already proud of it and open with his family.

In fact, he admitted to the New York Times that his mom had suspected it before he had even told her!

But as for his father, it was a very different situation.

Seeing Red

Even though relationships and sexuality can often be incredibly private, EJ Johnson is a special guy in that he doesn’t mind being open and honest when it comes to his personal experiences.

In fact, he appeared on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith to open up about his coming-out experience and revealed that his father’s reaction was not exactly what he had expected.

Johnson shared that his father was initially not very understanding about it, and that the first thing he said in response, was the last thing he wanted to hear.

Tough Talk

When we think of Magic Johnson, we think of many things. First a huge and celebrated sports star, but also a caring and relatable activist on some very serious and important issues.

And so it’s amazing to think that when his own son revealed he was gay, he wouldn’t respond in the way he had initially hoped.

EJ revealed that his father’s first reaction was one of shock, disbelief, and disappointment. This was incredibly upsetting—until he later revealed what the disappointment was actually about.

Make Things Right

As you can imagine, EJ Johnson was hurt and shocked by his father’s initial reaction to his coming out as gay. After all, can’t we all expect to be loved and respected by our parents, no matter what our sexual orientation and life choices?

Well, the truth is that Earlitha Kelly, Magic’s wife and EJ’s mom, had a serious talk with her husband and made him realize that the way he had responded was not ok—in fact, it might have pushed their son away from him forever.

When Magic realized this, he knew that he needed to make things right with his son.

Loving Kindness

Even though the whole family was going through a great deal emotionally, the Johnsons knew that if they were ever going to get their relationship back on track, they had to talk all of their issues out and understand each other’s emotions and why they had all behaved and reacted the way they did.

And to EJ’s surprise, his father led the discussion with a heartfelt apology for the way he had acted.

And when he revealed the true reason behind his reaction, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

Protect and Serve

Magic Johnson opened up to the New York Times about the real reason behind his reaction.

Because the truth was, he wasn’t disappointed in his son for being gay—far from it!

What he was sad about, was that he had his own painful memories of being ostracized and stigmatized after his HIV diagnosis.

He knew that people in the world still had the same hang-ups about being gay—and he wanted to protect his son from how hard this might be.

“My job as a father is to protect him,” he said. “Some people may not be nice … I wanted to prepare him.”

Dad Defence

And if anyone was in any doubt about how much he loved and supported his son, Magic Johnson’s further appearances on TV and the things he says in interviews have always made it very clear how much he truly stands behind him and anything he decides.

"It's all about loving them no matter who they are, what they decide to do,” he said in an interview on Ellen. “And when my son came out, I was so happy for him, and happy for us as parents—and we love him, and E.J. is amazing."

Owning It

After the initial confusion over Magic Johnson’s reaction to his son coming out of the closet, it is amazing to hear that he is in fact truly supportive of him and everything he does.

But as for EJ Johnson himself, he simply was not phased in any way by the media flurry around his sexuality—and the internet sensation that his first picture became.

“I’m reveling in it,” he said in a YouTube interview with Howard Bragman. “And I’m making it work to my advantage.”

Going Viral

It was incredibly inspiring to see how this young star, having been hounded and papped by the media, simply isn't letting their violation of his privacy bother him.

In fact, this savvy star decided to turn the new media attention to his advantage, becoming something of a social media star and a bona fide celebrity in his own right.

He started posting regular updates on his Instagram page, where he now has over 700,000 followers!

But this was only the beginning of EJ Johnson’s journey towards becoming showbiz royalty.

Reality Star

As if his Instagram and other social media channels blowing up wasn’t enough, EJ Johnson also found himself reaching stardom in other ways—most notably his iconic turns on various reality TV shows.

He first gained prominence on the E! eternal favorite, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, following some of the most notorious celeb offspring and their bizarre super-wealthy lifestyles.

After that, EJ proved such a popular character that he starred in his own spinoff, heading to New York City to film EJNYC.

Serious Stuff

We all know how many people can often view the celebrities that rise to fame through reality TV or social media popularity. Though we all enjoy the entertainment, not everyone always takes these sorts of celebs that seriously.

And for EJ Johnson, it’s easy to think that he is just another frivolous fashion-forward star with a big bank account. But the truth is, for all his pomp and ceremony, Johnson is actually delivering a pretty important messages for young people growing up in the world today.

Special Purpose

And it’s no accident that this reality TV star is delivering these important messages alongside his fun and silly entertainment value. This is actually something that Johnson is super aware of, and he has been open about how important he knows it truly is.

“There wasn’t any show that profiled a young person of color with a different sexual orientation living their life,” he said to the New York Times. “I’m not just some other rich girl who’s trying to get a show.”

Fashion Forward

Nowadays, EJ Johnson is well known as a super fun and flamboyant celebrity figure, always providing maximum entertainment on any show he appears on, being hilarious, witty and full of sass.

And we already know that under that sass, is a upper-savvy star with an important message.

But let’s not forget his other skill that he brings to the table—his fashion sense!

EJ Johnson has revealed that he has loved fashion and style since a young child, when his mother first introduced him to luxury designer brands.

But no one could foresee just how influential in fashion he would become.

Style Guru

It’s no surprise to anyone that EJ Johnson is today a leading figure in fashion and style. Not only is he just naturally super stylish, but he also has an incredible confidence and self-strength that inspires other people to believe in themselves and go for what they truly dream of.

And he hasn’t done this despite the media’s scrutiny of his gender and sexual orientation—but rather, he used this to his advantage and turned it around to become an invaluable asset in empowering others.

Breaking Boundaries

As time went on, it became increasingly clear how much of an impact EJ Johnson had truly made on the fashion world, and how important this was for people all around the world to be inspired by.

“Today we are talking about breaking boundaries,” he said in a speech at the cosmetics festival Beautycon, moderating a panel called The Gender Revolution. “We are talking about people who are not afraid to live their truth … That is what beauty is all about, because it is in the eye of the beholder, honey.”

Moving Mountains

As the world continues to slowly get to grips with the changing perceptions of gender, EJ Johnson is at the forefront of this movement and leading young people around the world along their journey of self-acceptance.

Even though nowadays many people are still stuck into binary gender definitions, Johnson knows that this won’t always be the case.

“That’s just the way we’re moving in the world,” he said to the New York Times. “Where everyone’s just going to be one big gray area.”

Love is in the Air

For someone who has been so incredibly open about his gender identity and sexual orientation, EJ Johnson has actually managed to keep a lot of his romantic and private life out of the spotlight.

Although that of course hasn’t stopped people speculating about who he may or may not be dating at the time!

And the world was delighted when the rumor spread that Johnson was dating none other than hip-hop star Milan Christopher.

We don’t know for sure if they are truly a couple, but the pair have been spotted out and about with each other—and truly look good together!

Looking to the Future

Looking back at EJ Johnson’s life, it’s truly amazing to think about all he has overcome. Not only did he have to deal from an early age the pressure of growing up in the spotlight, but he also had his personal life revealed to the world in the most unexpected and unfair way.

But in true Johnson style, he turned these hardships around and made them work for him—becoming an even bigger star thanks to his incredible self confidence and empowerment.

EJ Johnson is a great reminder that we are all walking down our own path—and that we should strut it with style.

Father and Son

Even though EJ Johnson and his father Magic Johnson have been through some difficult times in their relationship together, it’s clear that they both have a deep respect and real love for each other.

"You gotta support your child," Magic Johnson said in an interview on Ellen. "It's so many people who try to discriminate against them, so they need you to support them. 'Cause if you don't support 'em, who's gonna support 'em and love 'em?"

And it’s not just his own child who Johnson feels this is important to support.

True Understanding

Magic Johnson truly wanted to support his son and make sure he knew he was loved and appreciated, and never had to keep his true identity secret from anyone.

And that’s not just because he loved him so much—it’s also because he also knew the pain of trying to keep a secret, as he learned from his HIV diagnosis.

“It’s a burden trying to keep a secret,” he said to Frontline. “It’s hard. It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it than it does for you to really let it out. That’s why I am glad I didn’t have to go through that.”

Doing Good

And it’s not just his own son that Magic Johnson wants to help live his best life and be proud in his identity. He also opened up to Frontline about his work with young people through his charity, the Magic Johnson Foundation.

“We have job fairs; we have health fairs,” he revealed. “We’re able to touch the community in so many different ways. And it’s very important to me that we do that and that people of color and the minorities that live in urban America know that they can come to Magic Johnson Foundation and Magic Johnson Enterprises for anything.”

Passing it On

It’s clear to everyone all over the world that Magic Johnson is truly a loving and supportive father. And the truth is that he took inspiration from his own parents, who gave him the strong foundations he needed to pass this powerful message on to his own son.

“God blessed me with two unbelievable parents,” he said. “And I am just like both of them. I have the smile and charisma of my mother and the big heart of my mom, because she wants to save the world and help the world, so I am just like her.”

Making a Difference

And it’s not just Magic Johnson himself who appreciates the importance of family and passing down the strong message he took from his own parents.

But EJ Johnson also has opened up about how loved and supported he has always felt by his famous dad, even during their most difficult moments.

“When he came back to visit he picked me up for dinner,” EJ shared on Red Table Talk. “He hugged me so hard. He almost like broke my back. At that point, I was like, ‘We’re going to be OK.’ I could really feel the love.”

Edited by Vignesh Raja