Johnson Cookie - Believing in Magic: my story of love, overcoming adversity, and keeping the faith

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Praise for

Believing in Magic

Believing in Magic is for real. A story about growing as an individual, a couple, and then as a family. Great adversity led them to a challenging life, but being anchored by faith brought about the greatest love of all. Cookie and Magic have lived, loved, learned, and now leave a great message for all. Have faith.

Pat and Chris Riley

Cookie and Magics relationship exemplifies strength, love, commitment through faith holding steadfast to the original design of marriage. Were blessed to call them friends.

Pauletta and Denzel Washington

With humor and a God-given sweet spirit, Cookie Johnson captures our attention. With humble sincerity and candor, she draws us into the heart-wrenching story of her life with one of the worlds most famous athletes and powerful billionaire businessman. We are awed by the superior strength of her unwavering faith, as she determines to keep her loving family alive and together. Powerful and life-affirming.

LaTanya and Samuel L. Jackson

We couldnt put our friend Cookies book down. Though we have known Cookies strength of character for decades, reading this book indelibly rebranded her in our eyes.... She took us on her remarkable life journey with transparency, humility, humor, pride, and confidence. What a stellar testimony to the power of love, faith, family, and friendship.

Rodney Peete and Holly Robinson Peete

Some experiences we go through are made more difficult by fame and fortune. Believing in Magic is an example that ones true treasure lies in faith, tenacity, and a sense of ones own purpose in life.

Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett

In 1991, Cookie and Earvin (Magic) Johnson came to West Angeles Church amid a crisis greater than most couples ever experience. It has been an honor to know them, serve them, and love them and their family unconditionally as they have journeyed from then until now. We are convinced that this exciting and well-written story will touch and thrill the hearts of many for years to come.

Bishop Charles and Lady Mae Blake, West Angeles Church of God in Christ

Cookie has never been one to seek the spotlight, and Im thrilled that she is now sharing her story. Her beautifully written book will inspire and empower others to overcome any challenges in their lives. Cookie Johnson believes in Magic and I believe in her.

Robin Roberts

A poignant account of their time together. This book answers many of the whys of their relationship, but more important it shows Cookies strength, tenacity, intelligence, and sheer will to raise her family, live an authentic life, and support her soulmate. A must read!

Tonya and Dave Winfield

Cookie is an amazing woman! Her familys journey has been truly inspiring and magical.... We love and admire you, big sis and big bro!

LL Cool J and Simone I. Smith

Howard Books

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First Howard Books hardcover edition September 2016

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Interior design by Jaime Putorti

Jacket Design By Bruce Gore

Jacket Photographs Dean Dixon

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-5011-2515-7

ISBN 978-1-5011-2518-8 (ebook)

I dedicate this book to God.

Without Him, my obstacles would have been unconquerable. Always, He is by my side, guiding, directing, and carrying me when I cannot stand on my own.

For God is the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

I m coming home early because I have to tell you something, he said.

I rested the cold phone receiver against my cheek as I stared at the TV, confused, alternately searching for my husbands face and his number32among the sea of yellow-and-purple jerseys darting across the screen. Id just settled into the chaise in our family room, a big bowl of popcorn in my lap, with my girlfriend, Nicole, by my side. The two of us had been laughing and talking about everything and nothing, really, waiting for the televised game to start when I got his phone call. Earvin, the basketball legend known around the world as Magic Johnson, the point guard whod led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships, was supposed to be in Salt Lake City, warming up for the big preseason game against the Utah Jazz. Instead, he was in a car, heading to the airport, working his way back to LA.

Why? I asked. I tightened my grip around the receiver and passed one more nervous look at the television screen and then at Nicole. Just then, a commentator announced that my husband was out sick with the flu. Are you okay?

I have to talk to you, but Im on my way to the doctors office right now. Ill tell you whats going on when I get home, Cookie, he said slowly. I cant tell you over the phone. Im on my way to you.

Earvins wordshushed, somber, deliberatesent a chill creeping over my heart, into the pit of my stomach, through my bones, all the way down to the very tips of my slipper-covered toes. Initially, I didnt know what to make of it. But in the hours it took until he walked through our front door, Id worked myself into quite a frenzy. My considerations began with illnessmaybe hed broken a bone or tore an ACL or pulled a tendon or gotten some other god-awful career-ending injury. And then I thought that maybe hed had a run-in with a teammate, or worse, Lakers owner, Jerry Buss, or perhaps the coach, Mike Dunleavy. By the time Nicole said her good-byes and Earvin was just minutes from our home, I was convinced it was divorcemy husbands urgent phone call and unplanned trip home was to tell me he was leaving me. Sounds absurd, sureparticularly since wed only been married just shy of forty-five short days and were finally, happily, together as husband and wife. Our marital bliss was hard-won, believe me: wed had a twelve-year, on-again, off-again romance that stretched back to our freshman year at Michigan State University and, somehow, survived a long-distance courtship and two dramatic broken engagements, both of which began with similar cryptic phone calls like the one Earvin had made to me that night. So shaken was I from Earvins prior wedding hesitancy that even on the day we exchanged our vows, I was a nervous wreck, thinking the man Id loved for almost half my life would be a runaway groomso scared to say I do that hed call my phone, like hed done all too many times before, to tell me that he just couldnt be with me anymore. That his need for independence was stronger than his desire to commit to me. To us.