On September 14, 1991, Magic Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. Brennan: In the United States, we are taught to keep the fact that we are sexual beings to ourselves and to feel ashamed about sex and contracting an STI, which can happen to anyone, like, its not anything to be ashamed of. Magic Johnson: the NBA superstar who smashed HIV stigma Cookie and Magic's first child was named EJ, who has become an influential TV celebrity. He looked down and saw something bland and crusty. Cookie Johnson is a frequent presence at the Union Rescue Mission and the Downtown Womens Center. There have been other claims that Magic is the father of more children from secret romantic relationships but none have been proven. The couple now have two children together (Magic also has a son, Andre, from a prior relationship). Sam Graham-Felsen: Rock Hudson, the great Hollywood actor, who was the first mega celebrity to publicly come out as having AIDS he sort of acknowledged it publicly just days before died. The Magics eldest son, Andre, was born in 1981, two years after his father joined the NBA for the first time. He is 30 years old as of 2022. Brennan: Right. Magic Johnson, left, with World Health Organization official Michael Merson and Sasagawa Health Foundation founder Ryoichi Sasagawa before a 1993 AIDS symposium in Tokyo. Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. That was the only response we had. Brennan: I mean, the conversation around HIV/AIDS in the gay community is very different from the way that its treated even to this day in the broader culture. Matt Brennan is a Los Angeles Times deputy editor for entertainment and arts. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. It was during this year that Johnson married Cookie Kelly and also made her the secretary of The Magic Johnson Foundation. Is that just where they were at? There were other people who reacted in completely different ways, right? Magic & Cookie Johnson's Relationship Timeline Spans Over 40 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. Actually, it was the other way around. Fox says it's 'very possible' he 'did some damage' in the '80s as he speculates about what contributed to his Parkinson's disease, 'Waste of time': Community college transfers derail students. A look at the professional career of Magic Johnson's wife, Cookie Young man, do you know how much a sand dab costs?, Well, theyre very expensive, Cooke said. Cookie Johnson was worried about Magic, but supportive. The former American basketball As he watched Johnson munch on his burger, Cooke asked what the kid was seeking as compensation. Maddox: I think people are still just afraid. 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And because he defied that quote unquote death sentence, he also provided a model for living with HIV for those who would be diagnosed in the years to come. You can give Magic credit for bringing an entirely new kind of attention to the AIDS crisis without papering over the hard work of a generation of activists before him who had pushed for attention to HIV/AIDS. WebAnswer (1 of 4): Before he got married. If it can happen to Magic, it might be happening to me.. HIV meant AIDS. He loves her so much; he once called her the "perfect partner" and "soulmate.". Jack believed in star power, said Rothman. He said, This woman here, God let me know why I married her, why he brought us together. Cookie recalls, "I just thought, 'forget it. Cooke was outraged. Im not paying for your education. But, hey, Johnson was hungry. Isn't that crazy?" Cookie and Magics life was forever changed just 45 days after their wedding when Magic was diagnosed with HIV. Hecht: We thought that we were going to watch Magic get very thin and pass away. I never asked her to dance, he says. The mainstream press had almost no coverage. Fortunately, he was born a healthy baby on June 4, 1992. "Her roommate told her, 'I'm gonna meet Magic Johnson, he's going to be my boyfriend.' Are They Dead or Alive. At a time when HIV was still seen as a death sentence, Magic Johnson shocked the world by announcing he was infected. Theres certainly been improvements in the speed and accuracy of the testing, and hugely important has been the improvements in the actual treatments for HIV and the prevention thereof. 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. Matt Brennan: That was Robert Wade, Rob and Mary Weiss, Jim Hecht, Max Borenstein, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Syrus Yarbrough and Jeff Pearlman remembering the day Magic Johnson announced this diagnosis. Cookie and Magic first I think the thing that strikes me the most about hearing that montage is the phrase death sentence being repeated over and over. The former NBA player is also a former player of the Los Angeles Lakers star team. Magic Johnson has remained a central part of the Lakers franchise in his life since, serving as a coach and executive, as well as a player when he came out of retirement for the 1996 season. In the over 30 years since his diagnosis, Johnson and his wife, Cookie, have repeatedly affirmed that he contracted HIV through sexual intercourse. She met Magic Johnson during college at Michigan State And a lot of things havent changed. Maddox: For those 126,000 people, was it just as though they died and everyone was like, Well, we have a name for it and we know what it does, but we, you know, theres no answer? At the time, there was a long line of women who wanted to meet Magic, but to her surprise, he chose her. I've been in championships. Borenstien: It seemed absolutely inevitable that that was a death sentence. Here we brought you interesting facts about Magic Johnson's wife and their love story. Brennan: The Dr. Fauci helped treat Magic. What is the salary of Magic Johnson? And we live in a culture that I think, even though its very different from the one that existed in 1981 or 1991, we still sort of cling to a pretty prudish approach to sexual health, where so much of the messaging is more around shaming or punishing people for their sexual choices rather than giving them the tools and information and resources to, for example, get tested regularly so that you know if you contract an STI and can notify your partners. Moments later, the plates arrived. Further, the couple adopted a daughter, Elisa in 1995. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The true stories behind HBOs Winning Time: An episode-by-episode guide, Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s, Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993, Review: White House Plumbers reenacts the mishaps of Watergates operatives for laughs, Get ready for the 2023 Met Gala: Heres when, and how, to tune in live, Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon blasted at White House Correspondents dinner, Tom Jones review: PBS Masterpieces latest period drama is laid-back and enjoyable. 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. If you were doing HIV work in 1990, you were basically engaged in prevention. What is the height of Magic Johnson? Ill let Dr. Fullilove explain. Magic Johnson announces his HIV diagnosis and retirement from the Lakers on Nov. 7, 1991, with NBA Commissioner David Stern and teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at his side. In her caption, she shared that she was "savoring the moments." Maddox: And Im Kareem Maddox, professional basketball player and podcaster. He deserves credit for that., Former Former manager Claire Rothman on Jack Kent Cooke, West wanted Moncrief, and he made it very clear to Jack Kent Cooke, said Rich Levin, who covered the team for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. I was at my student newspaper. ", RELATED: Magic Johnson Celebrates Son EJ's 30th Birthday: 'So Honored and Blessed'. Magic Johnson reality show titled Rich Kids of Beverly Hills from 2014 to 2016. Brennan: I think those rumors are a product of just how unbelievable it seemed that he would be able to survive. "The key moment was when Cookie took the test and the results came back that her and the baby was fine," the retired NBA star told King, adding he was "scared to death" beforehand. 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. I love you dearly Happy Anniversary!". How Did Magic Johnson Get HIV Earletha Kelly, well recognized as Cookie Johnson, is a wife of veteran NBA star, Magic Johnson. Wife Arlitha Cookie Johnson was born on January 20, 1959, in Alabama. And let me remind you that the Lakers have made the playoffs seventeen times in the last nineteen years. The Law Did Not Treat Them Kindly. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Most people heard an HIV diagnosis as a quote unquote death sentence. When online shopping increased exponentially in 2015, Magic Johnson's wife stopped the business just six years after it opened. She also talked about learning EJ was gay, adding, I was still trying to figure it out. Behind HBOs Winning Time: The real story of Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss and the 1980s Lakers, and how they changed the NBA and America. Fine, said Chick Hearn, the announcer, who also worked as an assistant general manager with the team. Dr. Anthony Fauci, shown in 2004, helped treat Magic Johnson after the Laker stars HIV diagnosis in 1991. The 29-year 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. Magic Johnson raises his arms in response to the crowd at a Lakers victory rally May 17, 1980, in Los Angeles. "It wasn't how he got it that was important to me. He was a 19-year-old kid, fond of burgers and pizza and French Fries and any other cuisine guaranteed to block the arteries.