![]() Skepticism from one’s own under such a scenario was certainly bound to hurt. One can only imagine how things could have been had the world been informed sufficiently about the circumstances Johnson was going through. After all, the Lakers superstar’s forced retirement from basketball was triggered by such protests. On September 14, 1991, Magic Johnson married Earlitha 'Cookie' Kelly at the First AME Church in Los Angeles. Magic, later, even admitted how enraged Malone’s statement made him. Malone’s protest highlighted the grave nature of the situation Magic found himself in. Malone was the most high-profile player to raise his objection, and it “hurt” Magic too.Ĭookie was right in assuming the worst. While other NBA players did raise their objections too, Karl Malone’s public criticism was what grabbed public attention. Karl Malone was amongst the set of NBA players who protested against Magic playing in the league. And all her worst fears may just have come true, with even Magic’s colleagues raising concerns arising from misinformation. The book reveals how Magic’s long-term partner, Cookie, was deeply affected by the situation and also in fear of the public reaction to the news being public. The LA Lakers point guard came home to tell his wife Cookie, who describes the incident in an upcoming memoir, 'Believing in. They married in an intimate ceremony in Lansing, Michigan Magic's hometown on Sept. Cookie was frightened and upset and fretted about how she and her husband would be received once the news hit.” Earvin 'Magic' Johnson discovered in 1991 that he had contracted HIV. Magic and Cookie met at Michigan State University in 1978 and dated on and off for over a decade. He needed to give his wife time to process what was happening. An AIDS diagnosis would be an explosive story once the public became aware of it, and Magic wanted to keep it quiet until he knew all the facts. Johnson, however, made a sensible decision to learn about the situation that had taken over his life and only announce it to the public after he comprehended the gravity of the situation himself.Īs revealed on When the Game was Ours, “ Although Johnson had not contracted AIDS, only the virus that causes it, he knew so little about his condition that in conversations with Rosen he mistakenly kept referring to his illness as the fatal disease that was just beginning to creep into the public consciousness. Magic Johnson himself was unsure about the implications of contracting the virus at the time of his diagnosis. The backlash was severe and unsurprising, considering how awareness regarding HIV/AIDS was minimal. ![]() Magic’s world turned upside down almost overnight after his announcement was made public. But that still didn’t stop Cookie Johnson from worrying about the possible backlash to the announcement.Īlso read: “In the Name of Jesus”: Magic Johnson’s Wife Cookie Infuriated HIV/AIDS Activists with Her Careless Praise for Husband Magic Johnson was at the receiving end of taboo treatment after his announcement, confirming Cookie’s fears. It raised a cloud of smoke around the superstar, which was expected. At the time, when awareness and information regarding HIV/AIDS bordered on the fictional, Magic’s announcement stunned the world. After all this, came the shocking announcement of Johnson contracting HIV. ![]()
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