Coming out of the closet wasn’t easy for reality-TV star EJ Johnson.
On Monday’s episode of “Red Table Talk” with Jada Pinkett Smith, the former “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” star, 26, said that his father, NBA legend Magic Johnson, didn’t initially take the news too well.
EJ’s mom, Cookie Johnson, was also at the table and shared that she first asked EJ about his sexuality after observing him and a friend on a family trip to Hawaii. After confirming her thoughts, then came time to share it with Magic.
“We had the talk with Dad and that was a little tough,” Cookie, 59, said. “My husband is the kind of person like he reacts quickly. Everything that came to the top of his head, he just let it out.”
Cookie explained that the conversation turned hurtful adding, “It hurt my feelings and I know it probably hurt [EJ’s] feelings.” Cookie recalled Magic, 58, saying, “This is not what I wanted for my son. And do you realize what you’re saying because the world is not going to like that and do you want to live this life?”
Then Cookie and Magic had a heart-to-heart conversation about his remarks. “Afterwards, I told him, I said, ‘I thought that was a little tough. That wasn’t right.’ Then he didn’t say anything,” Cookie said.
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The next day, EJ remembers Magic walked into his room, “And was like, ‘We’re going to get through this and I just need time.’ And we both started crying a little bit.”
EJ said he finally began to feel his relationship with his father improve when he moved away to New York for college. “When he came back to visit he picked me up for dinner,” EJ recalled. “He hugged me so hard. He almost like broke my back. At that point, I was like, ‘We’re going to be OK.’ I could really feel the love.”
Elsewhere in the candid conversation, EJ talked about being gender fluid and often dressing in daring ensembles. “I guess you’re just floating in the spectrum, you’re not really defined by any gender confines if you will,” he explained. “I’m just EJ.”