Cookie Johnson Reveals How God Saved Her Marriage in 'Believing in Magic'
Cookie Johnson reveals why she decided to stick it out with her husband, former NBA star Earvin Magic Johnson, after repeated infidelities led to his HIV diagnosis while she was pregnant with their first child as a newlywed couple.
In September, Cookie released her book, Believing in Magic: My Story of Love, Overcoming Adversity, and Keeping the Faith that includes Christian-based messages that could not be overlooked by publications like Jet magazine.
The African-American publication highlighted the fact that the former NBA star's wife focused on God when her future hall-of-fame husband could not commit to marrying her.
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"Cookie discussed the importance of deepening her relationship with God. During one of their breakups, she was intentional about building herself up by attending weekly Bible study sessions," Jet said of Cookie after visiting her book signing in Chicago, Illinois. "She was so focused on God to the point where she was unable to focus on the pain of the break up."
When asked about how she would advise someone dealing with a tumultuous relationship, the author was not quick to steer anyone in one direction or the other.
"I would never tell someone when they should leave their relationship," Cookie told Jet. "However, when they find themselves becoming someone that they do not want to be, then they should consider making different choices."
In Believing in Magic, people get a glimpse of how Cookie handled learning that her husband was diagnosed with HIV 25 years ago.
"On November 7, 1991, basketball icon Earvin 'Magic' Johnson stunned the world with the news that he was HIV-positive. For the millions who watched, his announcement became a pivotal moment not only for the nation, but his family and wife," a description of the book reads on te Simon and Schuster website.
"Twenty-five years later," it continues, "Cookie shares her story and the emotional journey that started on that day — from life as a pregnant and joyous newlywed to one filled with the fear that her husband would die, she and her baby would be infected with the virus, and their family would be shunned.
"Believing in Magic is the story of her marriage to Earvin nearly four decades of loving each other, losing their way, and eventually finding a path they never imagined."
The book details the tumultuous relationship that the Johnsons endured before their marriage and how they overcame the life changing diagnosis that Cookie found out about while pregnant with their first child, EJ Johnson.
While Cookie gets candid about many of the ups and downs in her marriage, she made it clear that her husband is a blessing and glorified God for him on his birthday last August.
"25 years of excellent health! Praise God," she wrote on Instagram in August. "You have been a true blessing to our family and I love you with all my heart, I pray that God will continue to have favor on you, because you are obedient to His word."
