Magic Johnson is one proud father to his son Earvin “EJ” Johnson.
The 29-year-old reality TV personality came out to the basketball great, 62, in 2010, and at first, the latter wasn’t too keen about the decision.
EJ and his pops looked back on the experience with Variety and candidly opened up about their relationship following the news.
The “#Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” star noted that while his friends knew of his sexual orientation at the time, his parents were “the last people” he told.
“It wasn’t new for me, but they had to really take that in and digest it,” EJ told the outlet.
“Especially my dad, because he was really the last person to talk to. I think it was just a lot for him to swallow in that conversation. A lot of just going back and forth. And he just was rattling off about things that weren’t particularly nice. But he’s not somebody who works great being cornered or surprised,” he continued.
EJ didn’t officially come out to the public until 2013 when TMZ posted a video of him holding hands with his partner at the time.
After the “EJNYC” star told his parents, he noted that his dad often had rules about the way he could dress. “He’d come up with stupid rules: ‘No scarves in the house,’ ” EJ said. “But it’s really not about scarves; it’s really about him seeing you be you.”
Despite familial tensions running a little high, it wasn’t until EJ left for college at New York University in 2013, that Johnson started to come around.
“I had only been gone for two months,” EJ added of the time Johnson came to visit him in the Big Apple.
“He picked me up at my dorm and I was like, ‘Oh, whatever, hey.’ And he hugged me so hard — he was, like, squeezing all the air out of me. That’s when I knew, there’s nothing but love here,” EJ said.
Of his son’s sexual orientation, the Michigan native revealed to the publication, “He changed me. He was so proud. This dude here is just so proud of who he is.”
Johnson previously discussed his son’s coming out on an episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” back in 2017.
“I think it’s all about you not trying to decide what your daughter or son should be or what you want them to become. It’s all about loving them no matter who they are, what they decide to do,” he said at the time.
Johnson went on, “And when my son came out, I was so happy for him and happy for us as parents. We love him. EJ is amazing. So you got to support your child, because there are so many people who try to discriminate against them, so they need you to support them. Because if you don’t support them, who is going to support them? And love them?”