MAGIC JOHNSON’s TV NIGHTMARE

NationalEnquirer.com

Basketball legend MAGIC JOHNSON and his wife are urging their openly gay son to just say “no” to reality TV!

Earvin Johnson III, known as EJ, has been swamped with TV offers since coming out of the closet, sources say. But his parents fear he’ll be made to look foolish or, even worse, become the target of death threats.

“Magic and (his wife) Cookie say they’re very proud of EJ, but they’re also realistic,” said a family friend.

“THEY KNOW THERE ARE FOLKS out there who still hate gay people, and it would break their hearts to hear their son got attacked or even injured just for being himself.”

Now a junior at New York University, the flamboyant 21-year-old has said that he told his family he was gay when he was about 13. He was outed on the Internet in April, and while he got public support, EJ says that he also received nasty and threatening e-mails.

And that’s got his parents – who also have daughter Elisa – worried sick.

“Magic knows firsthand how horrible the public can be,” said the family friend.

“After revealing that he was HIV-positive in 1991, he was ridiculed by the public, and some NBA players protested when he played before his final retirement.

“To this day, he still gets derogatory comments about his sexuality.

“Magic and Cookie want to protect EJ so he doesn’t experience the same hurtful things they did. They’re hoping he takes their advice to continue to live his life to the fullest – just not on TV.”