Cookie Johnson is Magic Johnsons wife We cried for a couple of days just holding each other, he says. Mary Weiss: He announced that November 7th. However, the duo later got the way together and started dating. He had been nicknamed Magic as a fifteen-year-old high school freshman and now, having just led the Spartans to their first NCAA mens basketball title, he could not walk the streets without being mobbed. 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. Coming off of a 4735 season, Los Angeles was in such a position because, three years earlier, the New Orleans Jazz committed one of the worst free-agent acquisitions in league history. And we were desperate to get them to cover it. The two of them have been through quite a lot together. One month after their wedding, Magic was diagnosed with HIV. On April 19, 1979, the Lakers and Chicago Bulls had engaged in a coin flip to determine which team would be gifted with the number one pick in the upcoming draft. Cooke observed Johnsons bewildered expression. Brennan: Even if Magic had just focused on himself, it still would have been unusual that he made an announcement at all. Cookie Johnson is a frequent presence at the Union Rescue Mission and the Downtown Womens Center. The way Plaschke described him, he became someone with basically nothing to lose. Her brand was a resounding success that allowed her to venture into other platforms that proved shes more than Magic Johnson's wife. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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. 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. Get the man one!. Unfortunately, once they started covering it, they distorted it. 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. reality show titled Rich Kids of Beverly Hills from 2014 to 2016. Check your local listings for airtimes. Cookie recalls, "I just thought, 'forget it. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! Mi, Yahoo, dio smo grupacije robnih marki Yahoo. When online shopping increased exponentially in 2015, Magic Johnson's wife stopped the business just six years after it opened. 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. She later completed her bachelors degree in textile clothing from Michigan State University, where she met Magic Johnson. 1 overall by the Lakers on June 26, 1979. I said, 'Listen, you and I gotta get to know each other,' " Magic said. She said, I dont remember any [racial] incidents. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. But we still dont have a cure for the disease, or for the social ills that fuel it. Brennan: What hasnt changed about HIV since Magics diagnosis I mean, again, we dont want to undersell how important it was that he came out, that he became an advocate for more resources and attention. Ive been a competitor my whole life. I wonder if theres other countries that do. Magic launched a business empire. I just think we also need to acknowledge that because he was wealthy and because he was famous, he had some advantages in the fight against HIV that others did not. She was born to Earl and Cora and was a middle child. She later 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. On the one hand, in East Lansing, Michigan, Johnson a local kid out of Everett High School was a king. It was a brand that catered to women of an average size. So theres some voices that are just kind of outsized in the States, and a lot of that stems from politics, for sure. 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. Kad upotrebljavate naa web-mjesta i aplikacije, upotrebljavamo, Upravljanje postavkama zatite privatnosti, provjeru autentinosti korisnika, primjenu sigurnosnih mjera te sprjeavanje neeljenog sadraja i zloupotrebe, mjerenje vae upotrebe web-mjesta i aplikacija, prikaz personaliziranih oglasa i sadraja na temelju profila interesa, mjerenje uinkovitosti personaliziranih oglasa i sadraja. And it was, for a lot of people, it was a death sentence for people who deserved to die. Arlitha Cookie Johnson was born on January 20, 1959, in Alabama. She is also a self-made woman who has built an Cookie Johnson was worried about Magic, but supportive. The Jennifer Hudson Show airs weekdays. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Actually, it was the other way around. Maddox: I think people are still just afraid. Who is Magic Johnson married to? Privacy Policy During an appearance on CBS Mornings, Magic Johnson discussed living with HIV three decades after he was initially diagnosed with the virus prior to the 1991-92 NBA season. There's no way he's going to pick me over all these other women.'". section: | slug: magic-johnson-opens-up-on-living-with-hiv-30-years-after-his-diagnosis | sport: basketball | route: article_single.us | Maddox: Oh, wait, do you not remember the, uh so remember at the beginning of the pandemic? Magic left the nightclub with Cookies phone number. Where Johnson was at his best electrifying the crowd with his basketball skills, Cookie flourished as an inspirational speaker. Wife Arlitha Cookie Johnson was born on January 20, 1959, in Alabama. Does it persist to this day? Not to mention, Johnson has made $24,560,000 as NBA career earning playing from 19791991, 1996 with Los Angeles Lakers. RELATED: Magic Johnson Shuts Down 'False Story' He Donated Blood at the Red Cross. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. His personal doctor is this guy, David Ho, who was one of the crucial scientists who helped make the discovery of the triple cocktail. Maddox: Yeah, yeah. Linda and I hosted a book signing for Cookie Johnson's new best seller "Believing In Magic.". She is also a best-selling author who wrote Believing in Magic. The book was published in 2016 and is a thoughtful and inspiring memoir of many things, most especially as Magic Johnson's wife. Another pause. Her childhood, like Magics, was spent with a big and loving family; Cookie hung out a lot with her cousins. The couple wed on Sept. 14, 1991, just 45 days before Magic revealed his diagnosis to his wife. Maddox: And 126,000 were over how many years, roughly? Cookie and Magic's first child was named EJ, who has become an influential TV celebrity. Im not that guy. That single comment echoes what most people think of Cookie and her longtime husband. Get to know more about her. Her spouse, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster and motivational speaker since his retirement. Cookie Johnsons repertoire isnt just limited to speeches that inspire people. Magic Johnson The Magic Johnson Foundation isnt the only place or opportunity where Cookie Johnson shares his skills, experience and heart. But the bigger shock may have been what happened next. Johnson was pivotal in helping to lessen that stigma, as he not only managed to find a way forward and live with the disease, but also returned to playing basketball. You wanted to be around him. 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. And I think the feeling and this is, I think, an accurate assessment was that more or less the government had decided that it was acceptable for all of those people to die because they were gay. But he was older, and he came to us and immediately tore his Achilles. Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. He came back. Born in the Boston area, educated at USC and an adoptive New Orleanian for nearly 10 years, he returned to Los Angeles in 2019 as the newsrooms television editor. She grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and moved to Detroit, Michigan at the age of six. He invited Johnson and his entourage to stay the night in Los Angeles and return to the Trophy Room the following morning. Maddox: So with that context, Magic Johnson did something kind of revolutionary. If it can happen to Magic, it might be happening to me.. Born: August 14, 1959 (age 62) Lansing MichiganAwards and Honors: Most Valuable Player Olympic Games Basketball Hall of Fame (2002) Grammy Award (1992)The son of an autoworker, Johnson earned his nickname Magic in high school for his creative and recreational ballhandling. Jack believed in star power. I thank God every day for you and for bringing you into my life! Cookie and Magic's first child was named EJ, who has become an influential TV celebrity. Maybe wed go to the store and see white people. As a result, Cookie had to take a test to assure their safety, and it came back negative both for herself and their child. That is a big chunk of that demographic in that time period, you know, thinking about it as a lost generation. 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. Im only as good as Cookie. She wrote an autobiography, Believing in Magic, chronicling her experience with Magics diagnosis and how she dealt with the various changes in her life throughout her marriage. There have been other claims that Magic is the father of more children from secret romantic relationships but none have been proven. He came out as gay at the age of 17 and now a famous TV personality and socialite. "It was hard because I loved her so much and I hated to hurt her," Magic Johnson said. Lets get one thing straight right off, he said. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, at Accompanying Cooke and Johnson were Hearn and Earvin Johnson Sr. Two of the players representatives, George Andrews and Dr. Charles Tucker, also attended. It was difficult. He was a 19-year-old kid, fond of burgers and pizza and French Fries and any other cuisine guaranteed to block the arteries. I think that she was the most important person in his life at that time to help him and help me also at the same time, Magic says. Brennan: Right. 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. Schulman: There was mythology that female sex workers, which could potentially transmit HIV to their male customers and thereby threatened the entire family and all of this kind of thing, which justified police harassment of female sex workers. Maddox: Yeah. Though Mrs. Johnson does not have any income source, she shares a jaw-dropping net worth of $600 million with her husband. But that doesnt mean that there is no more stigma. 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Jackson's Wife? Who Were Jessie Buss and JoAnn Mueller? EJ Johnson is the first child of Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson. Being born in the family of literals Education and prosperity has been a sole purpose to follow, but I have chosen a different path for my life. In the series, his relationship with his youngest son, EJ, is explored. And well also talk about the years that followed his successes off and back on the court, and what that meant for millions of people. Nudged it around a bit. Dr. Robert Fullilove, professor and associate dean at Columbia Universitys Mailman School of Public Health, has been working on HIV/AIDS for more than three decades, and he says that even extended to medical workers. So, lets find out more about her then, shall we? Magic Johnson Since Johnson and his wife running a campaign as well as a charity for HIV patients. The couple also later adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. Executives from both teams listened to the toss via speaker phone from their respective offices. There was, however, the siren call of the NBA and specifically the siren call of Jack Kent Cookes thick wallet. 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. Her book "Believing in Magic" highlights all she and Magic have gone through together and how she dealt with the sad news. And let me remind you that the Lakers have made the playoffs seventeen times in the last nineteen years. All Rights Reserved. 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. MediaPunch/Shutterstock (L-R) Elisa Johnson, EJ Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Magic Johnson, Lisa Johnson and Andre Johnson. In an interview, Cookie talked about her initial reaction, saying, It scared me to death. Maddox: Bill Plaschke captured that in his description of post-diagnosis Magic who played on the Olympics Dream Team in 1992 and later returned to the Lakers for stints as a coach, player and general manager. Lakers coach Jack McKinney had the 6-foot-9-inch (2.0 I still dont get what you meant when you said point guard. Like what is the point guard joke? Dr. Robert Fullilove: There were some hospitals where if it was found that you were HIV-infected, a substantial portion of the hospital staff doctors and nurses would avoid having anything to do with you. 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. Despite the disease, Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics for the US basketball team, dubbed the "Dream Team" alongside fellow Hall of Famers such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird. Magic Johnson WebAnswer (1 of 4): Before he got married. Cookie Johnson and Magic Johnson tied the knot in 1991 in a ceremony that was held in Lansing, Michigan. In 1991, the couple tied the knot in an intimate wedding ceremony in Lansing. The Magic Johnson Foundation has provided free HIV/AIDS testing to more than 38,000 Americans and has educated nearly 280,000 people about HIV, risk factors associated with the disease and the importance of HIV testing. Sure, he happened to be sitting in the presence of Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke, perhaps the worlds least likely man to ever order a burger of any sort. I know when I come here [home], Im not Magic. Being afraid to kiss them. However, she was upset when he told her hed understand if she wanted out. And so if you look at People magazine covers and talk shows and this sort of thing, you see that they divided people with aids into two categories: innocent victims and guilty victims. "What was crazy you're gonna love this her roommate had told her three weeks earlier that 'I got to get Magic Johnson.' Magic was drawn to Cookie almost immediately when they began dating as college students at Michigan State University. Since December 2018, he has been the Vice President of Business Development at a computer gaming company called Mythical Games. So here now, a mere few weeks later, the kid was itching for a hamburger, befuddled by what was placed before him. We mostly stayed in our little black area all the time. Time and again, Magic Johnson has proven to be a family man through and through. Cooke was a formal man with formal tastes. Brennan: You go back and you read things from this era and you encounter a lot of nonsense about people being afraid to be in the same room with someone with HIV. 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. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. About Us Here, he poses for a photo with his wife, Cookie Johnson, center, and his parents, Earvin Johnson Sr. and Christine Johnson. 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. Sarah Schulman: In the earliest years of the epidemic, only the gay press covered AIDS with any kind of complexity. Magic Johnson's wife admitted later in life that her most horrifying moment came when the LA Lakers great publicly announced he had HIV. 1 overall by the Lakers on June 26, 1979. Maddox: Yeah. A bare rocky outcrop in the middle of the ocean made for a perfect backdrop but did not distract from the true star of the shoot. Brennan: Contrast that with Magic Johnson six years later. At 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, Johnson was a mountain of a man, the biggest, most powerful point guard anyone had ever seen. WebMagic Johnson and his wife, Cookie Johnson, first became acquainted as freshmen at Michigan State -- she quickly tamed his wild ways. 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. Currently, the Johnsons' family resides in a million-dollar house in Southern California. I was sick. The mainstream press had almost no coverage. The year 1991 was a huge turning point in the LA Lakers legends life both on and off the court. The series follows Magics early life and his relationship with Earleatha Cookie Kelly, whom he later married. Who is Magic Johnsons wife? - EssentiallySports Everything you need to know about the true story of the Showtime Lakers, all in one place. Cooke, however, wasnt one to be swayed easily. Magic Johnson's Wife Cookie: How They Met, Married, Kids Jack believed in star power, said Rothman. Magic Johnson Wife The organization has been one of the biggest contributors to the study and prevention of HIV and AIDS for more than 30 years. Seared into your memory. The Truth About Magic Johnson And Cookie Johnson's Marriage [My mind] went to He is possibly going to die. There wasnt a lot of knowledge back in 1991. However, the couple worked through the rollercoaster and came out of it stronger than ever. I belong to a place situated at the head of The India, The City of temples, the city of love and passion, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. Magic has another son, Andre, Magicmarked 30 years of living with HIV in November 2021. Brennan: What were talking about when were talking about those disparities is who has power and who doesnt. Maddox: Theres micro-communities, I would say, that have started to address this issue that youre talking about, but the way we talk about stuff in the States with regards to sexual health, especially yeah, no, I wouldnt imagine that it has changed that much. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Kareem Maddox: My initial reaction is that Magic Johnson is an athlete, right? Cookie is a Huntsville, Alabama, native. She developed a line of jeans called CJ which remained in business for six years. I just watched her dance and I said, Ive got to get to know that woman. . He deserves credit for that.. Cookie shares her perspective of the diagnosis in her new memoir, Believing in Magic. Sunday night marks the launch of the HBO series Winning Time, which is based on Jeff Pearlmans book Showtime about the eponymous Lakers dynasty of the 1980s. What is the height of Magic Johnson? The A whole bunch of heterosexual men, Black and white, suddenly go, Damn. Her fathers name is Earl and her mothers name is Cora. Like theres something in athletics where you could never allow your mind to wander to the worst-case scenario, meaning youre not allowed to consider losing. All About LaTanya Richardson Jackson. I cant eat this, he said. No one knows, though he has spoken and said his HIV diagnosis was probably because, in his words, had sex with up to 6 women at one After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected by the Lakers for the first time overall in the 1979 NBA Draft. So a gay person or someone who was a drug user was a guilty victim, and they deserved no compassion and no support. When she was six years old, she moved to Detroit, Michigan from Huntsville, Alabama. And on multiple levels. | Photo: Getty Images. He now seemed to realize it would never happen. Brennan: So hes like an old-school point guard: short and fast. ", RELATED: Magic Johnson Celebrates Son EJ's 30th Birthday: 'So Honored and Blessed'. At the time, the face of the Lakers was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a moody soul who brooded a hundred times for every forced smile. Advertise with us And as time went on, it never changed., A post shared by Cookie Johnson (@thecookiej). But there was no greater pressure than driving home to tell her.". Magic Johnson is married to Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly. The former American basketball So the Congress finds the means over a period of a couple of years to start putting more and more money, investing more and more, in HIV treatments and HIV prevention and in a variety of activities that I believe led to the discovery of the antiretrovirals that we now have in place. I put myself through school, and if I could do it, you certainly can. [She] slapped me really hard, Magic tells PEOPLE. The 29-year Cooke was outraged. And I think it was something that I was aware of, even if I was too young to know what that meant. 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. He was born on June 4, 1992. Ive worked in a factory my whole life for what hes offering you for one year! Earvin Sr. said. Young man, do you know how much a sand dab costs?, Well, theyre very expensive, Cooke said. Cookie did not expect a lot from their first date, but he totally swept her off her feet when he took her to an actual steakhouse. Salli Richardson-Whitfield: I was in Jamaica at a golf tournament. Super funny. Fullilove: HIV has been and continues to be identified as a health disparity, meaning that the proportion of folks even in 1986 who were living with AIDS was substantially higher than their proportion of the populations for Blacks and/or Latinx populations. Wed love to have you, Earvin, and I hope youll play here. With smiles all around, Cooke let his new superstar choose lunch. I am a student and a blogger all alone, Gurmeet. "Aw man, she went down to the floor, bow bam bam, and I said, 'Oh, I'm all ready,' " he added. Magic Johnson Johnson stabbed the listless sand dab with his fork. Man arrested in connection to a shooting that injured a teenager, deputies say, Vikings rookie QB: What to expect from Jaren Hall, Japan PMs Support Tops 50% Amid Speculation on Early Vote, OTR: Shaheen reacts to Trump's campaign stop in New Hampshire.