Magic Johnson's 3 Kids: Everything to Know

Magic Johnson might be a legendary basketball player, but to his three kids, his most important role is dad.

The retired point guard welcomed his first child, son Andre, 43, with ex-girlfriend Melissa Mitchell in 1981. Magic also shares two children with his wife Earlitha "Cookie" Johnson: son EJ, 31, and daughter Elisa, 29.

Over the years, Magic and Cookie have been open about their responsibilities as parents — like when Magic told Ellen DeGeneres that he was "so happy" when their son EJ came out as gay.

"It's all about you not trying to decide what your daughter or son should be or what you want them to become," he said. "It's all about loving them no matter who they are, what they decide to do."

Magic and Cookie have shared lots of fun moments with their family over the years, including a July 2023 yacht trip with their children and grandchildren in the Mediterranean. The NBA legend shared a photo on Instagram of the group posing on the deck of their boat as well as a snap of himself and Cookie standing together.

”Cookie and I are excited to have our kids Andre, EJ, Elisa, our daughter-in-law Lisa and grandkids Gigi and Avery join us on the yacht!” Magic captioned the post.

Here's everything to know about Magic Johnson's three kids.

Andre Johnson, 43

Magic and ex-girlfriend Mitchell welcomed their first and only child together, Andre Johnson, on Feb. 20, 1981.

Out of all of Magic's children, Andre is the most private. He has built a career in business and entrepreneurship — he even worked for his father's investment company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, according to Men's Health. In 2022, he became an executive vice president of business development at SimWin Sports, a digital sports league.

Andre is also a co-host of the podcast Please Elaborate, on which he and Mike Dupree discuss current events and culture.

He's a father, raising two children with his wife Lisa, whom he's been with since 2010. The family of four showed off their Halloween costumes on Instagram in 2022, with Andre dressing as Uncle Drew.

The business executive celebrated Father's Day in 2021 by sharing a photo with Magic. "Thank you for being an amazing father to us and pop pop to Gigi and Avery," he wrote. "I love you and pray that you get some much deserved rest on your special day."

Earvin "EJ" Johnson III, 31

Magic and Cookie welcomed their son Earvin "EJ" Johnson III on June 4, 1992. EJ was named after his father and grandfather.

EJ publicly came out as gay in 2013, though he came out to his family several years earlier. Since then, he has starred on two reality shows: Rich Kids of Beverly Hills and EJNYC.

Magic and EJ have both been open about how his coming out wasn't easy. In 2014, EJ told PEOPLE that, although his parents "pretty much already knew" that he was gay, they were worried about the public's reaction. "My mom didn't want me to be scrutinized," he explained. "I just told them I'm going to do what I want regardless of what people say."

EJ added of his relationship with Magic, "He saw me grow into myself, and we've really come full circle with each other," with his father adding: "He is courageous and strong enough to let the world know who he is."

In an episode of EJNYC, EJ shared that seeing Caitlyn Jenner come out as trans in 2016 made him ponder his own gender identity. "I thought about it, for sure," EJ said. "I was just like, 'Well do I want to transition? Is this something that I would do?' But I don't feel incomplete in that way. I don't feel the need to do that."

He has also been open about how having a famous dad has impacted his personal life. In 2018, EJ told Red Table Talk's Jada Pinkett Smith that he had encountered a lot of men who were only interested in meeting Magic and his proximity to fame.

"It's always been a struggle. There's so many factors," he said. "First of all, the celebrity thing — who are you here for, are you dating me or are you trying to date my dad? These men either just want to be there for one thing and then don't want to stay for the real relationship part, or they just want to ride the wave and be bougie and go out and have their picture taken and do all of that."

In 2019, EJ spoke about his gender-flexible fashion — and how he has no plans to transition. "I always say that if you feel like you're not in the right body, then by all means get to where you want to be," he said. "I don't feel the need to transition. I'm almost 100 percent positive I won't. I'm just very comfortable in my own skin. I like my body."

Magic spoke about EJ's gender expression ahead of the 2022 documentary They Call Me Magic. In an interview, the proud dad recalled that EJ's journey inspired Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union with raising their daughter Zaya Wade. "Be who you want to be, we gonna love you regardless, we gonna support you," Magic said of EJ.

Union was thankful that her family could turn to the Johnsons for support. "They gave us the blueprint. And literally, every step of the way ... they have been there," she said. Wade added, "And to see EJ do the same thing to Zaya, it was amazing."

Magic praised EJ's professional life in a March 2023 interview with PEOPLE. "I think that EJ is really taking charge of his career and making his own decisions, and he knows how and what he wants to get into."

The athlete added that his son "is so beloved all over the world."

In June 2023, Magic marked EJ's 31st birthday by posting sweet photos on Twitter of himself with EJ and Cookie.

"Happy Birthday to my son, EJ," Magic wrote in the caption. "I love your pure heart and creativity! Keep living your truth, it’s what I love about you most! Have a great day!"

Meanwhile, Cookie celebrated EJ's birthday by sharing a throwback photo of her son on Instagram as well as some current snaps. "Happy birthday, my @ejjohnson_! You are my great love! I pray that the Lord will have favor on you and bless you abundantly in your 31st year," she wrote.

Elisa Johnson, 29

Elisa Johnson was born on Dec. 21, 1994. Magic and Cookie adopted Elisa when she was just 3 days old.

In a 2016 interview with CR Fashion Book, Elisa recalled that her childhood with famous parents was as normal as it could be. "I was born and raised in Los Angeles," she said. "My parents adopted me when I was 3 days old, but I never felt out of place growing up. I was completely immersed in the L.A. lifestyle for all of my childhood and teenage years: shopping, eating on Sunset Boulevard, occasional trips to Malibu and hanging out with all my closest friends. Now, I'm living in Manhattan and I love it because everything is so much more accessible."

Elisa joined her brother EJ on Rich Kids of Beverly Hills, appearing as a friend of the cast. In the years that followed, Elisa became passionate about advocacy, just like her parents — Magic has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness since opening up about his own HIV diagnosis in 1991.

"It's really important to me to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS," she told CR. "I hope [in 10 years] I'll be able to help educate people about it. The biggest stigma with my age group is that people believe that it can't happen to them, which couldn't be more untrue."

In December 2018, Elisa and her friends survived a home invasion while on vacation in California. She later shared a photo that revealed she had been left with several scars that night.

"As women we tend to be very hard on ourselves. Months ago, I escaped from a home invasion and in the process I was left with intense scaring on my stomach," she wrote. "Until now I've been so afraid to show these scars, and incredibly insecure about the way I look. But I now realize these scars are a part of my journey, and tell the story of who I am. I love my body, and I am proud to be in the place I am today 😍 #selfhealing."