Magic Johnson is grabbing all the headlines for breaking away from his former Lakers boss to endorse Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race. Amid this, know all about Magic's wife, Cookie Johnson.
Magic Johnson is one of the most well-known and beloved former professional basketball players. Many consider him to be among the greatest point guards of all time. For those unaware, Magic spent his entire career playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers, after he won the national championship with the Michigan State Spartans.
At present, Magic Johnson is grabbing all the headlines for breaking away from his former Los Angeles Lakers boss to endorse Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayoral race. According to Magic, his 30-year friendship with Karen and her actions on homelessness and lowering homicide rates were part of the reasons he endorsed her. Now, amid this, if you are interested in knowing about Magic Johnson's personal life, especially his wife, Cookie Johnson, we've got you covered.
According to reports, Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie Johnson, was born in Huntsville, Alabama, as Earleatha Kelly. She is the middle child and has two siblings, one older sister and one younger brother. Apparently, she was named after her father, Earl, but her mother, Cara, first gave her the nickname, “Kookie,” after Edd Byrnes' character from the series, 77 Sunset Strip. Later, she decided to change the spelling of her nickname to “Cookie,” which is what eventually stuck. When Cookie was 6 years old, she and her family moved to Michigan. During a conversation with AL.com, Cookie told the outlet:
“Detroit is my home. But Huntsville is where my roots are.”
Cookie Johnson and Magic crossed paths when they were both students at Michigan State University in the late 1970s. With Magic as a freshman, he was already pretty well known as a local athlete when the duo met at a party on campus before Christmas break. In an interview with People in 2016, Magic admitted, “I never asked her to dance. I just watched her dance, and I said, ‘I’ve got to get to know that woman.” Before he left the party, Magic asked Cookie for her number and called her consistently throughout the break. And by the time their college resumed the following semester, the duo had already begun dating.
On September 14, 1999, Magic and Cookie got married in an intimate ceremony in the former's hometown of Lansing, Michigan. For those unaware, over the course of their decade-long relationship before marriage, the couple has broken up and reconciled several times before Magic got down on one knee. Reportedly, Magic even came close to breaking off their engagement because of his hesitations and doubts about marriage. Cookie opened up about the difficult time in Magic's 2022 docuseries, and recalled telling him, “Well, you know, after all we've been through, that's not…I can't do that. So, if you're gonna break the engagement, we're breaking up.” Despite his hesitations, Magic and Cookie have been married for over 30 years now.
Over the years of their marriage, Cookie and Magic have welcomed two children together. Their first child, son, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, was born in 1992. Two years later, in 1994, the couple adopted their daughter, Elisa Johnson. For those unaware, Cookie is also a stepmom to Magic's oldest child, Andre Johnson, whom he had welcomed with ex-girlfriend, Melissa Mitchell, when he and Cookie were on a break.
Cookie shared the story of her husband's HIV diagnosis from her perspective in the memoir, Believing in Magic, which became a best-selling book in 2016. In the memoir, she wrote about how she supported Magic after his diagnosis and also opened up about how Magic's health battle impacted their marriage.
When Magic was diagnosed with HIV, he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation in order to raise awareness of the disease and educate people on its prevention and treatment. And since its foundation, Cookie has served as one of its board members. She is known for speaking to women's groups, community events, and local schools about HIV/AIDS. She is also an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.
In 2009, Cookie launched her own business, a denim line called CJ by Cookie Johnson. Reportedly, the inspiration to launch the brand came from her always struggling to find jeans that suited her body type. After realising that many other women have the same problem, she wanted to create jeans to fit all these women whose bodies existed out of the fashion industry standards.
One look at Cookie's Instagram feed also reveals that she is passionate about several other causes. For instance, she often advocates for Feed the Children through various events.
What are your thoughts on Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie Johnson, and their relationship? Let us know.
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