Magic’s basketball career is back in the spotlight with the release of HBO’s new limited series Winning Time, that chronicles the rise of the Showtime Lakers in the ‘80s and includes Johnson’s signing to the team; as well as Apple TV‘s new, four-part documentary, They Call Me Magic. Despite all of his winnings on and off the court, Cookie has stayed by his side with the assist. Get to know more about Magic Johnson’s wife, Cookie and the secret to their long-lasting relationship.
Who is Magic Johnson married to?
Magic Johnson is married to Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly. She was born on January 20, 1959, in Huntsville, Alabama. She later moved to Detroit when she was six years old. Her mother called her “Kookie” based on a character from the 1950s-60s television show 77 Sunset Strip, who was always combing his greased hair. She was named Earlitha after her father Earl, and she has an older sister Pat, and younger brother Harold Earl. She began calling herself “Cookie” before first grade because she didn’t like being called “Kookie.” She has a bachelor’s degree in Textile and Clothing from Michigan State University. After graduating from college, she worked in retail and eventually relocated to Los Angeles to work for a sportswear company.
What does Cookie Johnson do for a living?
Cookie is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist and clothing designer. She created the popular jeans line CJ by Cookie Johnson and for six years it was sold in luxury department stores. She shut it down due to the increasing demand for online shopping. She and Magic also founded the Magic Johnson Foundation in an effort to develop and fund programs geared at preventing HIV/AIDS. Cookie serves on the organization’s board of directors.
Where did Magic and Cookie meet?
Cookie and Magic Johnson met at a nightclub in 1978 while they were 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,” she said in an interview with Mocha Man Style. She says that Magic didn’t ask her to dance. “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,’” she explained. Both of them were set to go home for Christmas break the next day. “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.” For their first date, he took Cookie to a steakhouse and that’s when she started to fall for him.
How long has Magic Johnson been married?
The couple got married in September 1991, in a small private wedding in Lansing, Michigan. Cookie opened up to Oprah about how Magic broke off their wedding twice before they finally said “I do,” saying, “I was close to a nervous breakdown, I felt.” He also tried to break it off a third time, but she gave him an ultimatum. The two did briefly separate for a period of two weeks in 2001. According to Cookie, Magic’s ego had gotten really big after his name was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She wrote in her memoir that things came to a head at an industry party, when Magic wasn’t interested in dancing with her. “It was like, ‘I don’t want you dancing with me. I want to dance with these people over here,’” she said. “That kind of got to me, because it had been boiling, boiling, boiling, boiling anyway. And I lost it.” They reconciled and have been committed to making the marriage work ever since. He reflected on their marriage in a 2021 tribute. “Cookie, our 30 year marriage has been the best time of my life,” he wrote on Instagram. “Ever since the day I laid eyes on you in 1978 I knew you were the one for me. I thank God every day for you and for bringing you into my life! You’ve made me a better man, person, husband, father, and businessman."
How many kids does Magic Johnson have?
Magic has three kids, but he and Cookie have two children together. During a period when Magic and Cookie had broken up, he dated a woman named Melissa Mitchell, with whom he had a son, Andre, in 1981. “There was a lot of breaking up and getting back together, a lot of ups and downs. We’ve been through everything together,” Cookie said. Andre is a father, husband, and he hosts the Please Elaborate Podcast. In 1991, Cookie was pregnant with Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, when Magic announced to the world that he was HIV positive. “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," Cookie recalled. “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?’” Both she and her son EJ tested negative. However, she said she never thought about leaving Magic, and opted to stay by his side. EJ was born June 4, 1992, and is openly gay and a reality television star. He has worked in fashion, and most recently has worked as an actor on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder revival. In 1995, the Johnsons adopted Elisa Johnson when she was three days old. Like her mom and brother EJ, Elisa is interested in fashion, and launched her own sunglass line in 2021.
What’s the secret to Cookie and Magic Johnson’s long relationship?
Cookie says they make sure to carve out time for each other to keep the spark in their marriage. “We do simple things. We’re very simple. We started this in college. We always went to the movies once a week,” she said. They’ve continued the tradition long into their marriage, making time for a date each Friday night. “We go to the movies. We get popcorn. We have a good time.” Magic shared the secret to their success on The Talk, telling the panel, “I think that having God in our lives, you know, making sure we keep him first. And then also, communication. Cookie and I always communicate. If there’s a problem or misunderstanding or something, we want to discuss. We do that before we go to bed. And, I think that then, she’ll make her point, I’ll make my point and then we’ll just move on from it. We never really dwell on anything.” Cookie added, “We never cross that line, where we push each other’s buttons to the point of no return.” “Right, and men out there, she’s always right!” said Magic. Next, get to know Denzel Washington’s wife, Pauletta Washington.
