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Magic Johnson’s 3 Kids Have All Found Success in Their Own Ways
Getty/ Gregg DeGuire
HBO’s hit sports drama “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” returned for its second season on Aug. 6. The series, which centers around the Los Angeles Lakers, chronicles the team’s Showtime era during the 1980s. It also dives into the players’s personal lives. Considering Magic Johnson led the team to victory five times during this period, it’s no surprise he’s such a prominent character on the show. The second season recaps his early days as a father as he welcomes his son, Andre Johnson. Since “Winning Time” tends to dramatize a few details, you may be wondering about Magic’s real-life kids.
It’s true that Andre is Magic’s first-born son. However, unlike the show, Andre’s real mother isn’t named Rhonda Mitchell, but Melissa Mitchell. She and Magic dated briefly and only welcomed one child together. A decade after Andre was born in 1981, Magic married his wife, Cookie Johnson, in 1991. A year later, the couple welcomed a son named EJ Johnson, and then adopted their daughter, Elisa Johnson, in 1994. Just like how Magic found his passion in sports, all three of his kids have found their own callings.
Scroll through the slideshow to learn more about Andre, EJ, and Elisa’s careers.
Getty / Gregg DeGuire
Andre Johnson
Magic welcomed his first child, Andre Johnson, with his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Mitchell, on Feb. 20, 1981, per People. Although he isn’t in the spotlight as much as his siblings, we know that Andre followed in his father’s footsteps of becoming a successful businessman. According to his LinkedIn profile, Andre studied business management at Santa Monica College from 1999 to 2002. The same year he began his education, Andre also started working for Elektra Entertainment. He oversaw the artists and repertoire (A&R) department and even worked with major stars like JAY-Z, Missy Elliott, and Gwen Stefani.
In 2004, Andre became vice president of business development at his father’s investment company, Magic Johnson Enterprises. After working his way up to the top, Andre was promoted to executive vice president in 2012. Since leaving Magic Johnson Enterprises in 2014, Andre has held positions at other companies like Hydra Entertainment, the Virtual Reality Company, and Mythical Games. Currently, he’s the executive vice president of business development at SimWin Sports and is a co-host of the podcast “Please Elaborate.”
In terms of his personal life, Andre is happily married to Lisa Johnson and the couple share two kids together, a daughter named Gigi and a son named Avery.
Getty / JC Olivera / JC Olivera/GA
EJ Johnson
Magic and Cookie’s oldest child, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, was born on June 4, 1992. He was named after his father and grandfather, and just like Magic, EJ grew up to be a star. He appeared on the reality show “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” for four seasons from 2014 to 2016. EJ’s success on the series led him to star in his own spin-off show called “EJNYC,” which centered around his glamorous lifestyle in New York City. Although the series only lasted one season, it opened up more opportunities for EJ to work with E!, including being a commentator on “E! News,” “Fashion Police,” and “Hello Ross.” In 2015, he also covered New York Fashion Week for the New York Post. Most recently, EJ has been voicing the character of Michael Collins on “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” since 2022.
Over the years, EJ has also become an LGBTQ+ icon. In 2013, EJ publicly came out as gay. Although his family worried he would be “scrutinized” due to his sexuality, EJ didn’t care about others’s opinions of him and only did what he thought was best for himself. “I just told them I’m going to do what I want regardless of what people say,” he told People in 2014.
“He came out on his own terms, and that’s what I’m really proud of. He is courageous and strong enough to let the world know who he is,” Magic said of his son.
Getty/ John Lamparski
Elisa Johnson
Elisa Johnson is Magic and Cookie’s adopted daughter. She was born on Dec. 21, 1994, and joined the Johnson family just days after being born. “I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. My parents adopted me when I was three days old, but I never felt out of place growing up,” Elisa told CR Fashion Book in 2016.
Although she’s been in the spotlight all of her life due to her father, she didn’t let that stop her from having a “normal” childhood. As a kid, Elisa said that she experienced the typical “LA lifestyle” by eating on Sunset Boulevard and visiting Malibu. “The only difference was that people would come up to us a lot and ask for photos, or we would need security for certain trips,” she said. “As a young girl, I was proud because I thought my dad was a superhero, but as I got older I started to realize who he really was and it made me gain an even greater appreciation for him.”
In 2021, Elisa launched her very own eyewear brand, Elisa Johnson Co. In an interview with Paper Magazine that July, Elisa said she became interested in fashion due to not being able to fully express herself in high school due to wearing uniforms. “I always wanted to be unique and different, and through fashion and accessories I was able to express myself in the ways that I wanted,” she said.
Elisa landed her first internship with the Italian eyewear conglomerate, Luxottica, in high school, and then went on to study fashion business management at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Elisa admitted she had some “anxiety” about starting her own business, however, her desire to make a name for herself outside of her family pushed her to pursue her passion. “I don’t want to be just Magic Johnson’s daughter. I didn’t want to be EJ’s sister,” she said. “I felt like I was always that person. And so to do this, Elisa Johnson Co. is my own thing.”
