BELIEVING IN MAGIC -- Cookie Johnson's Story of Love, Overcoming Adversity, and Keeping the Faith

In her new memoir BELIEVING IN MAGIC, Cookie Johnson, wife of NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, shares details of her marriage, motherhood, faith, and how an HIV diagnosis twenty-five years ago changed the course of their lives forever.
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[@maldives-joshuajoseph6032]

She is beautiful inside, as well as outside. God bless her journey !

[@williamssports8054]

If i'm not mistaken, their daughter is adopted. To all the people hating, she was going to have money if she left him. It's about forgiveness. She could have left and still got paid, found another man. she was hurt, but still in love this man and prayed on what to do. Ooops all you haters don't know about prayer and following God's word!

[@rubymargarita7542]

Williams Sports following God's word has nothing to do with staying! Read up on it please I say this with agape love. Peace be unto you.

[@sheilamccullough2616]

They don't

[@sheilamccullough2616]

O the daughter is adopted now her biological mother trying to get back in her life .you can Google it

[@Chibear24]

We aren't haters, this woman was a doormat and weak plain and simple, not an inspiration at all. In fact it's sad to think that girls would ever find anything inspiring about Cookie and Magic. Magic not only cheated on Cookie several times, but broke off the enhancement twice to her before marrying her on their third engagement. COOKIE SAID SHE DIDNT EXPECT HIM TO SHOW UP ON THEIR WEDDING DAY!!! He would also openly flaunt his infidelities. We aren't hating. Nothing to be jealous anout

[@346rrr]

A strong woman of faith! God bless her.

[@dianeallen347]

u are a wife and mother.

[@andreaanderson2030]

Theresa Blackman

[@ManuelGuzman067]

Theresa Blackman all fake

[@peachesmay4948]

Women are always loving others unconditionally!! It's amazing and than they have to be brave, strong minded, and devoted to God to help them get out of the mess they put themselves into. I am glad Cookie was abled to survive through this terrible experience. I'm glad Magic survived too. Praise God!!

[@Just_us-2]

Cookie and magic's been together for so long that they're starting to look a like.

[@barb5863]

I know! I've always seen it, though. lol

[@friyeamen9579]

Justcallme Justice 😂😂😂

[@sheilamccullough2616]

They do look alike

[@aprilmarizette4437]

No

[@bubba400]

I value your faithfulness and commitment. You have helped create medical history with magic living so long. God Bless

[@thokoziletapambwa509]

what an inspiration,amazing woman.God bless you Cookie Johnson.

[@BURNS2011able]

Thank You Mrs Cookie for teaching us about the power of love.

[@susansideratos1514]

God be with you my sister, and God bless you and your family 👪

[@juneblogger22]

You are a blessing Ms. I nez.

[@rupalikarnik7574]

Such a GEM OF A PERSON.

[@Shantased]

BEAUTIFULLY BLESSED

[@lydiaphamotse1276]

A strong woman indeed she touched my heart and I am also in the same situation of HIV with my husband even though my husband told me he is HIV positive after he propose to me but because I loved his heart and they he cares about me we got married but we don't have kids together

[@yezzchozen]

Love you all😊 Amazing story

[@americanbeauty171]

such a inspiration!!

[@simonandschuster]

Thanks for the feedback!!

[@BURNS2011able]

Amazing woman, wife & mother.

[@annloisegitau4569]

GOD meant for cookie to be strong for magic Johnson. every body is created for someone else, and only GOD knows the reason. so stop judging.

[@wandajewett6056]

Love both God is good he's your husband now you loved him Blessings to you both

[@MM-tx7gi]

This brought me to tears! You are an amazing woman and a truly devoted spouse! You are the epitome of greatness, and you are some humble and loving! How do you do that? You have a spirit like no other! Congrats to you and your power!

[@simonandschuster]

Thanks for the feedback!!

[@realtalkmybrother989]

raising a drag queen son.. please come on.. helping him wear women clothes..

[@BURNS2011able]

Trust my words. Your children will not always follow as they were taught. Think of all the weight she was carrying with a famous husband with HIV. plus children to raise..... Just saying...

[@icuhaternumberone3048]

Realtalk MyBrother She didn't raise a drag queen son. He was born naturally that way. She just allowed him to be who he already was.

[@roymcgregor990]

Cooke you and your husband magic Johnson family are beautiful people

[@latoniahinton7575]

Amen my sister I have to agree with you on that.because it hadn't been someone else if I would have walked away from him but you you stay.I just want to say keep doing what you're doing you're doing a good job of being a good wife to your husband. You do not find too many women supporting their husband or something like that going on. But I want to tell your sister keep your head up and stay focused. God bless you and your family

[@mylifehappynew5437]

God bless you and your family

[@simonandschuster]

Thanks for the feedback!!

[@sheilamccullough2616]

Bless you Mrs Johnson you and your family are gone to be alright

[@tommygarner2895]

A braid a beautiful black woman you are so inspiring to most people thank courage and staying with Magic good and bad times made you go girl

[@lenahmpulubusi4696]

when I listen your massage said thank god.

[@Encourager-Purpose-Destiny]

Thank You.

[@michellejohns6118]

tears

[@patriciastraker8840]

Grankids..a mini cookie and a mini Magic, cute, and more cute.❤💖...good fight to save your marriage!👏👍

[@waynejones750]

Strong woman.

[@rodneywilder8731]

Magic is 1 of the best Basketball players I''ve ever ever,seen before in my life. Magic and Kareem both entered the Guinness book of World records. This guy! When i saw the Lakers play with a Center playing point guard, I said noooo. Call the POLICE ON THE LAKERS. THAT'S ILLEGAL. MAN KAREEN/MAGIC COMPLETELY TURNED THAT GYMNASIUM INSIDE OUT GYMNASIUM RIGHTSIDE LEFT. TWO. GOD BLESS THE JOHNSONS. ENJOY YOUR KEEP. MAGIC EARNED HIS KEEP. I DON'T SAY THE ABOVE EVER. HE EARNED.

[@rodneywilder8731]

As I said, Magic was a serious basketball player. He and Kareem both. That team period. I said this in 1981 & 1982, call the police on the Lakers Coach Riley. Nobody did anything to them. You dont put that kind of personel together on people. The Lakers turned the gymnasium inside out, outside in, left side to the rightside and every other kind of sides. They were miraculous. I've never seen a center run fast breaks. They never stopped running. That team led by Coach Riley, Kareem, and Wilkes with Magic at point guard never stopped running. They were running full speed to. As though they were in a track meet. FULL SPEED!! Make a movie called, FULL SPEED, featuring the '81, 82 Lakers. They were acrobates. Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambus, Jamal Wilkes. HELP!! Nobody stopped them.

[@tamarawilson2768]

Love you mrs cookie

[@jessicamrtnz3jm]

true love

[@lindajackson7310]

Hi edagdwg thanks for sharing God at work don't let anyone tell you how to live glad she had faith in her 🙏 life with Magic true love wins linda j ☮️❤️ ❤️💯 💯

[@tinarussell6656]

Why are so many people hating this woman for HER decision? No one is asking you to validate her decisions or even buy her book. Couple of things to ask yourself: 1. If you look back on your life 25 years ago you need to ask "what has God brought me through?". 2. What has been forgiven in your life? 3. What have you lost because of your inability to forgive? 4. Did Magic have sex with you? 5. Did he infect you? 6. Why do you care about the reason she stayed? 7. Are you jealous or just have nothing better to do but tear her down for her choices? 8. What does his life and children have to do with your stank attitude? Just asking and maybe the comments will be better thought out.

[@calvinsampson5750]

Amen

[@tamarawilson2768]

You are my strenght

[@dorothytorrey73]

Cook your love for Magic his love for you is something magical so magically Look at your family E.J. Is what it is Brilliant, unique and fantastic It's like a wish came true for you You Cook are the glue to the love and understanding to your heart to be a strong black woman all I can say isThere's magic in the air amen hallelujah Is why Ervin Johnson took his fans on a trip the way he handle that ball He did. Ervin was magical Magical in every way In my eyes I see a family got right with God because God whom you all turned to when the price wasn't right It's that magically a different I love you most of all my black queen You stay there thru your fears tears girl you were lost in space You are the best Magic ever had planted in his heart God give him you God knew how magically gifted he was to tied the knot with you How great thou art From Dothan

[@darleneslaughter7179]

I bet if it was her he would have been GONE!! These men know who to marry and they do whatever the hell want to them.

[@ah2552]

Darlene Slaughter shut your bittered man hating ass up.

[@sheilamccullough2616]

U don't know tha

[@jolenesimon6123]

@@ah2552 She's right

[@strauqq1]

25 years later he probably don't even have it and that lil boy came out🧚‍♀️ Heeeeeeeeeeeeeyy!!

[@bubba400]

Hi. Send EJ to Africa for a year. That could help bringing him closer to earth.

[@cindyking7229]

Carlos Donayre lol your comment is hilarious

[@buziecele5834]

Think its time for me to tell my story as well

[@tay3767]

From an interview I saw Magic was already aware that cookie was going to be his wife. He broke up with her multiple times before marriage because he wasnt ready to marry yet. Cookie knew of that so I dont see wrong with her staying considering he found out after their marriage

[@saharadesert77]

Why is the magic cookie all of a sudden in my recommendations that's what I want to know

[@rudoringo752]

U were just sent for him,

[@marthaluciagonzalez1945]

I want to understand why she didn’t get it ? Because obviously they were newly wedded and she got pregnant during that period... Such powerful story ..

[@songsalon7868]

Cookie knew she would get "Them Coints" either way it went..she rolled the dice and won " sorta"...safe sex with a spouse is probably still kind of hard.

[@madreep]

I'm opposite from alot of opinions I'm seeing here. I don't fault her for staying with him. HIV was still fairly new and misunderstood 25-30 years ago. We thought that it was a "gay man's disease" and that it was an automatic death sentence. We didn't understand enough about how it was transmitted back then or that it was even possible to not have it even if your partner did. She could have left him, but for what? A life of loneliness? Because back then would she have been able to remarry or be involved sexually with another man even though her status was negative? Not many back in the day or even today would choose to have sex with a woman knowing that her ex husband was HIV positive for fear of catching it themselves.

[@juneblogger22]

But how do you get the love that he cant provide for you, because you married him, and he was gay?

[@mowilljd]

Wow I wondering what God everyone in the comments here is referring to😲

[@ladyrootz3311]

She was just trying to keep her family together

[@lorir5728]

I don't hate her for staying. It's her choice and being happy is important. If it was the other way around I doubt he would stay with her. Everyone knew he had hiv. Women wouldn't be so quick to sleep with him especially at that time when HIV was a death sentence. Easier to not stray. Men and women are different creatures. I really don't know what I would have done. I'm not judging her because I think I would have stayed if I was in love and having a baby with the man.

[@susanjohnson1242]

Somebody help me understand this! so she was pregnant with their first child when they found out Magic had HIV...so then they had 2 other children after that...so then she must have caught HIV right?

[@lissalissa9246]

susan Johnson I think that he have a older child with another woman. And after the second (the one that they made together before knowing the diagnostic) they adopted a girl.

[@susanjohnson1242]

Lissa Lissa Oh is that right?

[@lissalissa9246]

susan Johnson That s what I read in the little bio on wikipedia. But I guess it s better to read the book to know the truth.

[@carolbarnett1675]

susan Johnson one kid

[@magrethscubu9135]

But so she doesn't hv the disease

[@brunotoutpuissant1665]

i really dont think that he have hiv, i think they force him to retid so they can focus on getting micheal jordan where he needed to be.

[@ramonastarks6039]

No beloved he is HIV+ why would anybody want to fake something like that, my brother has been hiv+ for 20yrs, ppl r living longer with the virus now

[@sarahdelva6893]

Sooooooooo sad before and after

[@wisealert3281]

great story, but its getting old? just saying, perhaps its promoting the book?

[@shanellellis5009]

Money

[@rossdaboss1959]

Isaiah 53:5, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes, we are healed.For salvation, people just need to follow the way they did it in Acts? They were baptized in the water and of the spirit. Here's why! The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we are to follow him, we must do the same thing. Death= repentance, Burial = baptism, and resurrection = being filled with the Holy Ghost and rising again from the dead. That's what Acts 2:38 is.We must obey the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ... Matthew 7:21-23, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in Heaven. St John 3:3-5, EXCEPT a man be born of WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD.We can't come up with our own gospel. Galatians 1:8-9, But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Don't be cursed. One way for all people. Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritan. Our salvation has to match-up with the scriptures and no scriptures on the subject can be taken away.Eternity is TOOO long to be WRONG! st, John 5:39, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.God told Noah exactly how to be saved, how he must build the ark. Noah didn't come up with his own plan like people are doing today. A sinner's prayer, you just have to believe, etc which is not in the bible.The gospels show what Christ has done on the cross for us. The book of Acts shows us the beginning of Christ's Church and how to enter the Church, obeying Acts 2:38. The letters were written to the Church to show us how to behave now that we are born again into the Church.It's better to walk alone than to walk with a crowd going in the wrong direction. Are we supposed to follow the teachings of the apostles? Acts 2:42, They continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrines. Ephesians 2:20, We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Jesus Christ truly loves you. Do you truly love him? If you believe in this message, help spread it in the name of Jesus Christ. God bless you

[@dorothytorrey73]

Good afternoon Cooking my name is Dorothy Torrey first Ima star by saying I read my horoscope this morning and it said wonderful things so I'm going to take a chance starting with you first based on I'm a mother a single mother of three they all grown I have one special child on disability and I'm also on disability to my oldest son he's a workaholic and he's trying so hard to provide for the four of us all together I have a daughter she have to stay home most of the time still of working due to the fact that she has to Watch Over Me Myself due to my health their fourth we live in Design Place 5295 Northeast 3rd Court Apartment two Miami Florida anyway I'll lease is up in June we live in this cramped two-and-a-half apartment our is $1,695 including utility therefore we need a place to stay I've been looking all over and everything is filled up mostly in Dade County but anyway my son he works in Davie out there somewhere in Broward anyway I do receive Food Stamps and and we need a house like a four-bedroom house rent to buy what my son pay for rent is a mortgage yeah my horoscope said about imagination and imagine so I'm going to imagine that you received this message and let your heart open up for me because I'm so tired thank you so much for listening

[@joanneazria577]

money let you stay too

[@michaelsingleton1311]

Are you sure Magic is not gay

[@Steve_305]

Michael Singleton there was rumors that Magic and Isiah were love affairs

[@phillipswatson3452]

.

[@johnnywilliams7488]

Seems like the only people that is hating is the ones who says to All the haters : you are the hater

[@monaeeddie3395]

This is what happens when you have a good women that can feed I to a good man

[@simpleme5719]

$$$$$$$$$

[@tamonabryan1995]

Is it me or cookie resembles the Braxtons

[@keishmoore1826]

Tamona Bryan It's you.

[@moisepicard3417]

IT'S DEFINITLY YOU.

[@moisepicard3417]

Tamona Bryan PLEASE DON'T COMPARE COOKIE TO THE BRAXTONS.

[@johnnywilliams7488]

I don't believe in magic : I believe in Yahweh

[@asiame4389]

Why did you sta? M.O.N.E.Y!

[@alwashington8364]

Ej looks like he was imposed

[@angiesmith1221]

YOU LOVE THE FAME, OVER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SALVATION ...SMH

[@040590vll]

Does she have hiv

[@phillipswatson3452]

lorena varela NO!!

[@jneroo226]

Cookie sure didn't have a problem producing one cupcake of a Son. SMH

[@sheilamccullough2616]

O hush hush

[@sheilamccullough2616]

U must want him

[@TitoJonJon]

i love magic.... and their family....but i dont think he is h.i v positive...

[@adzriel0964]

Disgusting ej

[@cindyking7229]

nevaeh _96 Lol

[@luclongly529]

I'm pretty sure she just didn't want to get a job.

[@hunna5849]

The reason why he stop cheating is because he got the disease

[@ryublueblanka]

Hmm... none of them have aids but him

[@sherryhunter4765]

She is so weak minded. He was having his fun but you set up there and he really showed you no respect. He knew that if no one else wanted him he could get you.

[@ginadillon2072]

If he had caught it from tainted blood that is one thing. But this guy deserves zero praise and please do not bring God into this. She should be ashamed.

[@cynthiaflowers4674]

I would like to hear the real reason EJ is gay. God made male and female. There was some sexual misconduct going on.

[@MyRichAuntie]

Their love story is TERRIBLE