Magic Johnson has three kids striving to make a name for themselves. These siblings, despite their varying birth circumstances, have more in common than their famous dad.
In March 2022, NBA MVP Magic Johnson took to Twitter to announce the release date of his docuseries, “They Call Me Magic,” as April 22. The documentary centers on the life of the legend, touching major highlights like the debut of his basketball career, his rise to global stardom, health struggles, retirement, and family life.
It also features Magic’s contribution to the HIV community since his heartbreaking diagnosis in 1991 and interviews with several celebrities and family members.
The icon’s announcement was met with mixed reactions from fans. While some think another documentary about Magic after 2022’s “Winning Times: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty” was unnecessary, others are excited about getting a deeper insight into Magic Johnson’s world through the eyes of those closest to him— most notably, his family.
Who exactly makes up this family? Are they famous as well? How many kids does Magic Johnson have?
Does Magic Johnson Have Kids?
Magic Johnson does have kids and has remained a doting dad since his first taste of fatherhood. In fact, he is a dad to three children, who are all grown up and working to establish their empires in their respective fields.
The icon shares two of his children, E.J Johnson and Elisa Johnson with his wife of three decades and counting, Cookie Johnson. However, his first son, Andre Johnson came from Magic’s relationship with a woman called Melissa Mitchell.
Notably, speculations of a possible fourth child have surfaced in the last decade but remain unconfirmed.
Who Is Andre Johnson?
In 1981, two years after his NBA draft, Magic Johnson became a first-time dad, welcoming son, Andre, with then-girlfriend Melissa Mitchell. Magic’s oldest kid came into the world on February 20, 1981, and has remained close to his dad since childhood.
Despite growing up in the spotlight, the 41-year-old has maintained a relatively private life. Aside from his podcast titled “Please Elaborate,” Andre keeps away from the world of stardom and is less famous than his half-siblings.
According to his Instagram bio, Magic Johnson’s oldest son identifies as a believer, chief inspiration officer, and a good shepherd. He also describes himself as an innovator.
Andre attended Santa Monica College, where he obtained an Associate Degree in Business Management in 2002. Before that, he worked in A&R at Elektra Entertainment. There he snagged opportunities to work with several Hollywood top shots like Jay Z and Gwen Stefani.
The business manager went on to work in his dad’s company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, focused on creating jobs in multicultural communities.
He has also worked for Canyon Capital Advisors, Mythical Games, and The Virtual Reality Company. Additionally, he champions several entrepreneurial ventures, startups, and projects, making his dad increasingly proud.
Outside his professional life and career, Andre is married with two children and remains a tremendous husband, father, and businessman.
EJ Johnson Is Magic Johnson’s Second Son
Named Earvin Johnson III, after his famous dad at birth, E.J Johnson grew up to become the most famous of his siblings. The star landed on the planet on June 4, 1992, months after Magic Johnson revealed his HIV diagnosis to the world.
Fortunately, the child, born to the NBA legend and his wife Cookie Johnson, arrived healthy and free of the virus. He continued growing by leaps and bounds, making several appearances alongside his parents.
Despite the expectation of many to see the lad follow in his dad’s footsteps, the now-29 year old took a different route. In his teens, EJ made his reality television debut on “Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills.”
He proceeded to snag his self-titled show, “EJNYC,” which also featured his younger sister. Additionally, the television personality has pursued acting. He has appeared in movies like “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” and “With Love.”
The reality star came out as gay in 2013 and identifies as gender-fluid. He has since embraced gender-defying outfits, stamping his footprints in the world of fashion.
Despite his love for crossdressing, EJ admittedly loves his identity and has no intention of transitioning. He has remained a strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community since going public with his sexuality.
Elisa Johnson Is Magic’s Only Daughter
Magic Johnson’s daughter Elisa Johnson joined the family in December 1995, when she was only three days old. She has been open about her life growing up with the Johnsons, admitting she never felt out of place despite knowing her story.
Her parents never hid details about her birth from her, not even the identity of her birth mother, Dawn. In fact, the 26-year-old got to meet her birth mother, when she turned 18. The 2016 reunion featured in an episode of “EJNYC.”
Elisa Johnson briefly followed in her dad’s footsteps, pursuing basketball in junior high. But she quit after realizing it wasn’t her thing. She made up for her basketball deficit by gearing off a career in entertainment.
The icon starred in her brother’s reality show, “EJNYC,” among other entertainment ventures. Before long, the 26-year-old figured a life of stardom did not appeal to her either.
However, she continued nursing her lifelong dreams of becoming a performer/singer and owning her own brand of sunglasses. So far, Magic Johnson’s daughter has recorded more success in entrepreneurship and fashion, making do with her plans to lunch her sunglasses line.
She is the proud owner of the sunglasses label, Elisa Johnson Co. The FIT graduate also established the fashion brand Melanated, featuring a line of stylish wear.
Is There A Fourth Johnson Sibling?
In January 2017, an Atlanta woman Renee Perkins came forward claiming Magic Johnson was the father of her adult son, Chauncey. According to her, she took in for the athlete in 1982, but he dumped her after discovering the pregnancy.
Perkins claimed Magic’s advisor Charles Tucker urged her to abort the child to enable the basketball star to focus on his career. Left with no choice, she raised their son alone.
To back her claims, she presented a series of documents, including evidence of paternity tests conducted in 1982. However, Perkins insisted Magic and his reps withheld the test results from her.
Despite having several loopholes, these speculations about a fourth Johnson sibling have found their way into people’s hearts, posing many questions.
The Johnsons Have A Close-Knit Relationship
Despite their varying biological backgrounds and personalities, the Johnson kids have remained close. The family has fostered their bond through the years, sharing each other’s breakthroughs and difficult times.
They regularly post about each other during special milestones and family events. This isn’t to say they do not have fallouts on occasions.
One such fallout involved a feud between EJ and Elisa Johnson over French model Anthony in 2016. The seeming love triangle led to a heated squabble between the siblings, which featured on “EJNYC.”
However, they have since moved past it, becoming closer than ever. For her 25th birthday, the LGBTQ+ activist shared a photo of him and Elisa posing together. He accompanied it with a sweet tribute reaffirming his love for his little sister.
Like his kids, Magic Johnson’s baby mamas have also been plunged into the spotlight, thanks to their link to him.
But not even the unsolicited media attention has managed to break the family apart. In fact, Magic and his wife have been married for over three decades, which is saying a lot in an era of numerous failed celebrity marriages.
Needless to say, Magic Johnson does not only boast of success in the basketball world, he has also aced the fatherhood game, with his three grown-up multi-talented kids serving as proof of his parenting prowess.