Former basketball star Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnsontied the knot back in 1991, one year before the longtime Los Angeles Lakers player retired from the NBA. Unlike other former professional athletes' kids who have followed in their footsteps onto the court or field, Magic Johnson's children have all forged their own paths. His two kids with Cookie, EJ Johnson and Elisa Johnson, are now in their 20s and are making names for themselves in two very different careers, and Magic's oldest child, 40-year-old Andre Johnson, from his relationship with Melissa Mitchell, is now a dad of his own. To see what Magic Johnson's three children are up to and to learn more about the tight-knit Johnson family, read on.
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Andre Johnson is a businessman, podcaster, and proud father of two.
Magic's oldest son, Andre, was born in 1981, two years after his father first joined the NBA. Andre tends to remain out of the spotlight, but on Instagram, he frequently posts about his wife, Lisa Meyers Johnson, and kids, 12-year-old daughter Gigi Johnson and 9-year-old son Avery Johnson. In June, Andre posted a photo of his family—step mom Cookie included—at Gigi’s sixth-grade graduation.
Andre also shows a lot of love for his dad on social media, as well. In honor of Father's Day last year, he posted a photo of Magic, Cookie, Gigi, and Andre, along with a heartfelt tribute. "Thank you for teaching us how to be people of action, not words, and to always be a blessing to those around you," Andre wrote in the caption. "I love you and enjoy your day to rest."
Andre doesn’t post much about his professional life online, but according to what appears to be his LinkedIn page, he was the vice president of his dad’s investment company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, from 2012 to 2014. Since Dec. 2018, he’s been the vice president of business development at a computer gaming company called Mythical Games. He also hosts his own podcast, Please Elaborate, where he talks about current events, sports, gaming and more with his friend Mike Dupree.
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EJ is an actor and influencer.
DFree/ShutterstockEJ—short for Earvin Johnson III, named after his father—made his debut as a reality TV star on the E! show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, which aired from 2014 to 2016. In 2016, he starred on his own short-lived E! spinoff, EJNYC, which followed his life as he moved to New York City. (The series was canceled after the first season.)
EJ has since gone from reality television to acting. This past May, it was announced that EJ will be co-starring on the new Disney+ showThe Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. "Feeling all the elation feels today," EJ wrote on Instagram, sharing the news that he'd voice Michael Collins. "This character is witty fabulous glamorous and a force to be reckoned as well as unapologetically themselves."
The actor's personal life has made headlines as well. In 2013, EJ was outed by TMZ. When he spoke to The New York Times about the incident in 2017, he noted that TMZ reached out to his father for a comment on the photos of his son holding hands with another young man. Shortly thereafter, EJ did his first coming out interview on Gwissues with Howard Bragman.
While appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April 2017, the host talked to Magic about what kind of advice he would give to a parent whose child comes out. "When my son came out, I was so happy for him and happy for us as parents," the former basketball player said. "We love him and EJ is amazing, so you gotta support your child. Because there are so many people who try to discriminate against them, so they need you to support them."
Earlier this month on EJ's 29th birthday, his dad posted on Instagram: "To my beautiful and fabulous son EJ, Happy Birthday!! Continue to change and educate the world! ❤️"
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Elisa owns her own sunglasses company.
Ron Adar/ShutterstockThe youngest of the group, Elisa, was adopted by the Johnsons in 1995 when she was just three days old.
She was a part of her brother's EJNYC show in 2016, but Elisa, who is now 26, has said that she didn't exactly enjoy being on reality TV. "I feel like I wasn't cut out for it," she told SSENSE Magazine in April 2017. "I think you have to have a certain type of confidence level. You have to be prepared for people to say certain things about you, and it just wasn’t for me."
Elisa ultimately decided not to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. And now, she is the owner of her own self-titled sunglasses company, Elisa Johnson. On its website, the company says that the eyewear was designed by the youngest Johnson and every pair "reflects Elisa's style."
This past May, Magic shared photos of his family celebrating the launch of Elisa's brand. "We are so proud of her and I love that she’s doing what she always wanted to do, work in the fashion industry," Magic wrote in an Instagram post.
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The whole Johnson family is very close.
Magic posts about his wife and kids often on social media. On Mother's Day this year, he shared a photo on Instagram of his entire family celebrating, including his three kids and grandkids. Also joining them were Cookie's mom, sister, and their nephew.
Separately, Magic posted a photo of Cookie, in honor of the occasion. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and our family. You are our foundation and the backbone," he wrote in the caption. "We appreciate the love and kindness you shower us with daily."
