Magic Johnson on Learning to Accept His Gay Son EJ: ‘He Changed Me’
variety.comSelome Hailu The year was 2010, and scarves were in. “Very European,” says EJ Johnson, the son of Magic Johnson, as he recalls when he came out as gay to his father. “Even in the summer, you had your linen scarves.
That was the look. And of course I was rocking the scarves, because it was hot. And he just could not stand it. ”In a new interview with Variety ahead of the April 22 release of “They Call Me Magic,” an Apple TV Plus docuseries that covers his life and career, Johnson revealed that he initially struggled to come to terms with his son’s sexual orientation.“When you grow up in team sports, you’re thinking, ‘Is he gonna play sports?’” Johnson says. “And then when I saw that he liked dolls and to play dress-up … ‘What are you doing?’” “I was out to all my friends,” says EJ, who is now 29. “[My parents] were the last people that I really had to talk to about it.
It wasn’t new for me, but they had to really take that in and digest it. Especially my dad, because he was really the last person to talk to.
I think it was just a lot for him to swallow in that conversation. A lot of just going back and forth. And he just was rattling off about things that weren’t particularly nice.
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