Cookie Johnson says 'The Lord has healed Earvin' in April's Ebony

Jet, April 7, 1997

In an exclusive interview, Cookie Johnson, the loving and supportive wife of superstar Earvin "Magic" Johnson, tells EBONY readers about her husband's "miracle."

"The Lord has definitely healed Earvin," his 37-year-old wife says.

She reveals that recent results of tests show no signs of HIV in her husband's body. "He is still taking medication, but there is no virus left in his blood," she contends.

Cookie says she always had faith that the Lord would heal her husband. She reflects on what she said when the basketball great announced to the world that he tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"I honestly feel that the Lord is going to heal him and that we are going to live together forever and have more children and be happy," she said five years ago.

"This was a true test of faith," she explains now. "We had to stand out on faith on this one."

Mrs. Johnson also talks about how she has grown.

"I'm a lot more relaxed," she states. "And a lot more tuned in to me."

Cookie and Magic have a 4-year-old son, E.J., and a 2-year-old daughter, Elisa, whom the couple adopted when she was just three days old.

The April issue of EBONY also features Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte and retired Archbishop of South Africa Desmond Tutu, who are among the men who survived in "Prostate Cancer: Male Killer Hits Famous and Not-So-Famous."

Women from around the country give their opinions in "Sex Appeal: What Is It And What Makes Women Take Another Look?" and "Black Women Firsts: Hidden Gems Of Black History" chronicles pioneering women in areas that range from politics to religion.