Magic Johnson, born Earvin Johnson Jr., is an American entrepreneur and former professional basketball player. He was born on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, to Christine Johnson, a school janitor, and Earvin Sr., a General Motors motors assembly worker. Magic Johnson spent his entire basketball career playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and became known to be the best point guard of all time. He has been honored with multiple awards in professional basketball and has been inducted into the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Johnson had six siblings and three half-siblings from his father’s former marriage. He was an athletic child, loving basketball at a young age and often playing and practicing all day with his father. He played basketball throughout high school and college, eventually ending up playing for Michigan State in a championship game against Indiana State. Johnson faced against Larry Bird, and Michigan State won with Johnson getting voted as Most Outstanding Player.
Johnson finally entered the NBA draft in 1979 and joined the Los Angeles Lakers where he had a fruitful career. At some point, he suffered a major injury which led to him missing 45 games. In 1981, he signed a 12-year, $25 million contract to be in the Lakers (around $80 million in 2022). He received several MVP awards throughout his career and led the American 1992 men’s Olympic basketball team. Before the 1991-92 NBA season began, Johnson announced he would be retiring from playing professionally as he had contracted HIV.
Despite his relatively short career 12-year professional career, Johnson remained an inspiration to many sports fans, even being voted as a starter for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. He announced an early retirement hoping to garner support and privacy as he battled HIV, but this led to more rumors and speculation about the basketball legend. At the time, heterosexuals rarely got HIV. So, is Magic Johnson gay? Let’s take a step back and carefully examine the basketball hall-of-famer’s relationships to find the answer.
VOTE: What is Magic Johnson’s Sexuality?
Magic Johnson’s Relationships
When he began playing professionally, Johnson reportedly had intercourse with a large number of women. In terms of relationships, there are no official accounts or statements. Some rumors have surfaced about Johnson’s time with a few famous names, but these remain unsubstantiated. Here are some of Magic Johnson’s notable link-ups and relationships:
Magic Johnson and Cookie Johnson (1991-Present)
Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly is an American entrepreneur, designer, philanthropist, and author. She met Johnson in 1978 while they were both freshmen at Michigan State University.
We met in college as freshmen [at Michigan State]. I went to a club. One of the only clubs on the campus. [Magic] was standing there by the doorway when I walked in with a friend of mine… The lights came up and I happened to be walking by where he was sitting and I said it was nice to meet you. He said, ‘Yeah, by the way, give me your number.’ I’m like what? Cause he never said anything to me the entire night… I told him I’m not giving you my number because you’re not even going to remember me in a month. He said, ‘Yes, I will.’ I gave him the number and literally the day I set foot back on campus he called me.”
Cookie Johnson, Interview with Mocha Man Style
The pair got married in September 1991, in a small intimate wedding in Michigan. Cookie soon became pregnant with Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, but soon after that, Johnson announced that he was HIV positive. Fortunately, Cookie and EJ would later test negative for the disease.
It was devastating. It was like the worst news you could imagine. Back then when somebody said HIV it was a death sentence. I thought he was going to die. Nobody tried to give you any kind of hope about it… My emotions went from me worried about him, and then to ‘Oh my God, I have a baby in my tummy’ and me worrying about the baby, and then to ‘what about me?’”
Cookie Johnson, Interview with Mocha Man Style
The couple would later adopt Elisa Johnson in 1994. They are still happily married today and will soon be celebrating their 33rd wedding anniversary.
Magic Johnson and His Harem of Women
Magic Johnson claims that he initially didn’t know how he got the disease but later stated that it may have been due to having numerous sex partners throughout his career. He has admitted to, at one point, having scores of women. Some of the women who have also been linked to Johnson include American TV personality Kathleen Sullivan and singer Janet Jackson.
After his diagnosis, HIV announcement, and retirement, Johnson began openly talking about his past sexual experiences with multiple partners to stress the importance of HIV awareness and safe sex. He targeted heterosexuals who, at the time, didn’t consider they were at risk.
Magic Johnson’s Early And Unexpected Retirement
Magic Johnson immediately retired as soon as he was diagnosed with HIV. There was a heavy stigma on the disease at the time, and Johnson opted to leave so that he could dedicate his life to “battle this deadly disease” and to avoid “[hurting] the game.”
He would later attempt a return, but other players protested, arguing they may get infected if Johnson were to sustain an open-wound injury on the court. He eventually managed a return for a season but retired for good in 1996. In a 2011 interview, he reportedly stated he regrets retiring from the NBA after getting diagnosed with HIV, stating, “If I knew what I know now, I wouldn’t have retired.”
Is Magic Johnson Gay?
No, Magic Johnson is not gay. Johnson maintains that he is heterosexual. He has managed to recover from his HIV disease and remains a supporter of safe sex and HIV/AIDS research. After his retirement, it was initially rumored that he was secretly bisexual or gay, and Johnson denied both. Fellow professional basketball player, Isiah Thomas, was later accused by Johnson of spreading misinformation regarding his sexuality, but Thomas also denied the claims.
Featured Image: “Magic Johnson”, by Neon Tommy, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED