- "They Call Me Magic" is the new Apple TV+ docuseries on the life of Magic Johnson.
- The relationship between Magic and his son EJ is a big focus of the fourth episode.
- EJ says Magic struggled with his son's sexuality early on, but now they are closer than ever.
The new docuseries about the life and career of Magic Johnson, "They Call Me Magic," is now streaming on Apple TV+, and Episode 4 centers on the basketball legend's life after the NBA.
NBA diehards will undoubtedly love the dazzling highlights from Magic's playing career, but if you want to get into the true essence of the series — the evolution of Johnson as a person and his dueling identities, as "Magic" and "Earvin" — look no further than his relationship with his youngest son, EJ Johnson, a star in his own right from several TV shows.
As an athlete, Magic was one of the best ever. However, while the series seemingly blames many of his failings on his life as a superstar (e.g., "Magic"), it is clear that Earvin was often a flawed partner and father.
"He wanted me to be into sports and whatever, but it's like, I had never had a mind for sports," EJ said, later adding: "He was always, like, always watching me when growing up, like testing me, and, especially when I was younger because obviously I always gravitated for things that are more feminine and stuff like that. And he, you know, that was not allowed."
Magic's wife, Cookie Johnson, noted that EJ always wanted to play with his sister's Barbie dolls.
"I always snuck Barbies under my bed, or like little dress costumes I would hide from him," EJ recalled. "It was almost like I was living a double life ... I would go to school and be who I wanted to be, but when I was at home, no."
When EJ revealed his sexuality to his mother, the pair then told Magic. It did not go well.
"He said, 'You need to be masculine, you need to be this way, this isn't the life I wanted for you,'" EJ said. "And I was just sitting there, which was like, well, this is very hard to hear."
Cookie said during the series that she "lit into" Magic for saying that to their son. EJ's brother, Andre Johnson, said the pair talked afterward, with Andre noting, "That was tough."
The turning point came when Magic realized he was not protecting EJ
"I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and that, you know, I accepted what he was doing in the beginning because I didn't," Magic said.
For Magic, the turning point was when TMZ spotted EJ holding hands with a man in 2013, and it became a national story.
"Everybody was trying to chase down stories and trying to say, 'Hey, was he gay?'" Magic said. "That was hard for me. I'm supposed to protect my kids. My father passed that down to me. So, with EJ, I had to check myself and say, this is who he is. You can't put your life on your son. You gotta change, not him. You."
After that, Magic and EJ talked.
"He literally hugged me so hard, I thought he was gonna break my back in half," EJ said. "And that's when I knew; I was like, we got this."
According to EJ, they are now closer than ever.
"We are way more alike than we are different," EJ said. "The gag is, you'll never know that we are closer than close."
The four-part series debuted on Apple TV+ on April 22.
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