Super Soul Special: Cookie Johnson – Why She Stood by Magic Through It All

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode of Oprah’s Super Soul, Oprah sits down with Cookie Johnson, wife of NBA superstar Magic Johnson, to discuss Cookie’s journey through public and private adversity following Magic’s HIV diagnosis in 1991. The conversation explores the depth of faith, love, and resilience required to support a partner through crisis, raise a family under public scrutiny, and navigate the challenges of fame and personal growth. Cookie’s reflections center around the story in her book, Believing in Magic, offering lessons on overcoming fear, the power of faith, and the unwavering support of family.

Main Themes

• Standing strong in marriage and faith in the face of crisis
• The early days and public fear of AIDS and HIV
• Cookie’s personal spiritual journey and resilience
• The family’s navigation of Magic’s HIV diagnosis in the public eye
• Parenting, faith, and support for their son EJ’s identity
• Lasting lessons on love, trust, and commitment in relationships

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The HIV Announcement & Immediate Aftermath

• Context: Magic’s 1991 HIV diagnosis, public fear and ignorance about AIDS/HIV ([01:31]–[03:11])
• Oprah recounts: “Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis... just two months after Cookie and Magic were married. That year, AIDS had become the number one cause of death for men between the ages of 25 and 44... At the time, Magic Johnson was one of the most famous athletes in the world...” ([01:31])
• Cookie reflects on the fear:

  “You know, that time, it was a really scary time because the people had just started hearing about, you know, AIDS... you just go straight to it’s AIDS. AIDS and it’s death. So it was a scary time... for a lot of people.” ([02:49])

• On the magnitude of Magic’s diagnosis:

  “He sort of became… the face for what was possible. I mean, I have to say that when that announcement... I don’t think anybody believed that we’d be sitting here 25 years with Magic, with us.” (Oprah, [03:11])

• Cookie’s honest admission:

  “We didn’t know either.” ([03:45])

Cookie’s Motivation to Tell Her Story

• Timing of writing her memoir Believing in Magic:

  “Well, first of all, it’s just a good time for me in my life. You know, the kids are grown… I have my thing going on, he has his thing... [Women] came to tell me that… your story helped save my marriage… I have a family member with HIV, and your story helped us. And that kept happening time and time again.” ([04:08]–[05:05])

• The universality of her message:

  “It was… the faith part, the standing by, believing, overcoming adversity… that’s what people were connecting to.” ([05:05])

The Power and Practice of Faith

• Cookie’s spiritual upbringing and turning to God after public humiliation from a broken engagement ([06:38]):

  “At that point, that’s when I had to reach back and find God.... I was close to a nervous breakdown... I just started praying, lord, you’re gonna have to help me with this.” ([06:38]–[07:34])

• On moving from ‘religion’ to ‘relationship’:

  “I always went to church... But this meant you got to dig in deep... you have to learn to develop a relationship with God... not just with religion, going to church, but with God himself.” ([20:09]–[20:32])

• The role of praise and prayer:

  “If you praise God, that he comes down, you know, he inhabits the praises of his people… I didn’t know any of that until I started going to Bible study and... understanding the Word.” ([20:32]–[21:19])

The Day of Magic’s Diagnosis - Raw Recollections

• Cookie shares in detail the anxiety and fear awaiting Magic’s return home after the call ([08:24]–[09:34]):

  “It was crazy. You know, I thought... is he gonna break up with me again?... Is he sick?... And then I thought, oh my God, I’m pregnant. What about the baby?... It took every strength in me to keep standing.” ([08:43]–[10:36])

• The pivotal moment of support:

  “He said, ‘You can leave me if you want. I totally understand.’... That’s when I just kind of slapped him and said, ‘Are you kidding? No, I love you. We’re gonna figure this thing out together.’... The next thing we did was we got on our knees and we prayed and we asked God for a miracle and ask God to give us strength.” ([10:19]–[11:31])

Trust, Pain, and Commitment in Marriage

• Discussing trust after learning about Magic’s past relationships ([15:07]–[17:55]):

  “You have to assume a certain amount of trust. So I decided to trust him... you can’t have a relationship without having trust. So you have to say to yourself, I’m just gonna have — I trust him.” ([16:22])

• On vows meaning something:

  “They did. And the love that was shared... because we, you know, he genuinely did love me and I genuinely loved him from, you know, from way back, which is why we kept coming back to each other... I met him as Irvin, not as Magic.” ([18:29])

Faith as the Anchor Through Crisis

• On using faith to cope and seek miracles:

  “God got me through it and deepening my faith and reading the word and understanding... when you want God to give you a miracle, you have to understand how to get that miracle... you also got to work for it in a sense.” ([19:27])

Parenting EJ - Love and Acceptance

• Memories of EJ’s childhood uniqueness and early signs of his identity ([25:54]–[28:07])

  “He wanted to wear a skirt like [granny] and twirl around in it all the time... And I was like, it’s okay if you do. I saw you, and I’m okay with it. I’m just letting you know that it’s okay with me.” ([25:54]–[28:38])

• Magic’s reaction to EJ coming out:

  “He said, your mother tells me that you might be gay... that’s not my first choice for you... But if that’s really who you are, then okay, I’ll accept it, you know?... the very next day, he went and grabbed him, and he told him how sorry he was, and he told him how much he loved him. And he said, no matter what, I am gonna always be here for you.” ([28:56]–[30:06])

• Reconciling faith and parenting:

  “That was a very hard thing for me... but, you know, finally I just said to myself, this child is innocent... it can’t be wrong... So I had to pray about it. And the answer I got back was love... I could love my son and support him on who he was and, you know, and I was okay with it because I made peace with that. I made peace with God with it. So I’m good.” ([30:45]–[31:40])

Marriage Strains, Separation, and Reconnection

• Cookie discusses a period of separation as their roles diverged ([33:03]–[34:39]):

  “As a marriage… transitions and the journey goes on... the wife and the kids kind of move this way, and… your husband… he’s out there working... So it just all became about work for him...” ([33:23])

• On the role of faith, guidance, and promise in reconnecting:

  “Cookie says guidance from their pastor and friends, plus a lot of prayer, helped bring the couple back together. In Believing in Magic, Cookie writes, ‘We made an agreement. No matter what we were going through or how difficult it became, we would always talk about it. And that is a promise that we’ve kept.’” (Oprah, paraphrasing Cookie; [35:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the night of Magic’s diagnosis:
  “I just kind of slapped him and said, ‘Are you kidding? No, I love you. We’re going to figure this thing out together.’ …Then the next thing we did was we got on our knees and we prayed and we asked God for a miracle.” (Cookie Johnson, [11:04]–[11:31])

• On surviving public humiliation:
  “Your identity was tied to that.”
  “Totally tied to him. Totally tied to him. …That’s when I said, you know, I just started praying, Lord, you’re gonna have to help me with this.” (Oprah and Cookie, [07:34]–[07:36])

• On faith and miracles:
  “You want God to give you a miracle, you have to understand how to get that miracle… You also got to work for it in a sense. …I learned all those scriptures and those promises that God…” (Cookie Johnson, [19:27]–[20:07])

• On parenting and acceptance:
  “This child is innocent. He was like this when he was a baby. It can’t be wrong… The answer I got back was love… I could love my son… I made peace with God with it. So I’m good.” (Cookie Johnson, [30:45]–[31:40])

• On relationship resilience:
  “No matter what we were going through or how difficult it became, we would always talk about it. And that is a promise that we’ve kept.” (Cookie Johnson, quoted by Oprah, [35:12])

• On the book’s title:
  “He said, ‘No, I like it. It’s really true. And it shows who we are, basically…It represents us.’” (Cookie Johnson, [36:15]–[36:27])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & HIV Context: [01:31]–[03:11]
• Decision to Tell Her Story: [04:00]–[05:24]
• Cookie’s Spiritual Journey: [06:38]–[07:57], [19:27]–[21:44]
• The Diagnosis Night: [08:24]–[11:31]
• Trust and Vows: [15:07]–[18:29]
• EJ’s Story and Acceptance: [25:41]–[32:23]
• Marriage Strain & Reconnection: [33:03]–[36:27]

Final Reflections & Takeaways

Through vulnerability and grace, Cookie Johnson illuminates the strength drawn from faith, the hard-won lessons of love and loyalty, and the courage to embrace family and self through public and private storms. Her story is a testament to choosing belief—in God, in a partner, in a child, and in oneself—when the world feels most uncertain.

Quote to remember:
“I believe it, and I still believe that he is healed… Of course, it wasn’t this big miracle where it’s completely gone, but, you know, God can heal people through doctors, through medicine.” (Cookie Johnson, [21:44])

For anyone facing hardship in relationships, health, or family, Cookie’s journey offers hope, honesty, and a powerful reminder: Love and faith can redefine even the toughest challenges.