EJ Johnson, the child of NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and wife Cookie, did a rare interview with Carlos King where the former reality TV personality discussed what it’s been like owning their identity, having the support of their parents, and at this stage in life, embracing the comfort found in presenting as a woman. These days, EJ doesn’t “like” the he/him pronouns, and is fine with “they” or “she.”
“I told them on my birthday in June. We’re not doing ‘he,’ we’re not doing ‘man,’ we’re not doing ‘gay,'” Johnson told King about a conversation they had with their parents. “It was very freeing. And also it just was.”
They continued, “When you’re telling people about who you are, you are telling them. You’re not looking for acceptance. I’m not looking for validation, I’m telling you what’s going down. We had that conversation, and it was very easy because I just told them flat-out: this is who I am, and this is how we’re moving, grooving, and going forward. Even ‘son,’ I was like, the world tried to give me that label: Magic Johnson’s son. He’s dead. And now there’s Miss Thing.”
When asked how that revelation was received by Magic and Cookie, EJ said, “They were like, ‘Oh ok. We’ll do our best to understand that.'”
While acceptance has been a process, but a fruitful one with family, EJ’s bold, feminine identity has often received mixed responses from the Black community watching them online. King asked about the influencer’s feelings on that lack of acceptance, to which they replied, “Again, I wasn’t really looking.”
“I don’t care to be accepted in a community or to be a part of a community. I just wasn’t in it,” EJ said.
Their stance was that they couldn’t “care less,” especially those who feel it’s somehow a disappointment that EJ didn’t become a carbon copy of their father, who is a legend in the hyper-masculine sport of basketball.
“Who cares? If your community is mad, let them be mad. But I always thought that was stupid that they thought I was supposed to be playing basketball or something. First of all, do you know how difficult it is to become an NBA player? It’s a very hard process. If I wanted to do that, I would have done that. But why are we even having this discussion?” they said.
“That has nothing to do with me,” EJ continued, touching on the ways in which choosing to embrace femininity, including wearing women’s clothing, doesn’t impact anyone else. “What does anyone’s femininity have to do with that? What’s stopping you from being this macho black man? What is stopping you, sir, from continuing to be you? What do you and me have to do with each other? Nothing. It doesn’t make sense.”
EJ made it clear that the belief that Black men have to be “macho” is not their concern or problem.
“I’m not hindering you from going on to be some toxic, masculine Black man. I don’t even know you,” they said. “And it doesn’t say anything about what it means to be a Black man in America. I’m not a man. I don’t even feel like a man. So what’s stopping you from going on and doing exactly what you think it is you should be doing? Nothing. Nothing at all.”
EJ is the first child of Magic and Cookie. The couple also adopted daughter, Elisa. Magic’s firstborn, his son Andre, an entrepreneur, is from his relationship with ex-girlfriend Melissa Mitchell. EJ first became a public figure while starring on the E! reality show, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills for four seasons, and their short-lived spinoff, EJNYC. They have since stepped into acting, including doing voice work on the Disney spinoff, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.