E.J. Johnson insists he didn't "feel violated" when it was publicly revealed recently that he was gay.
In fact, in a new interview given to Howard Bragman on the YouTube talk show Gwissues, the 20-year-old son of basketball legend Magic Johnson said he "always wanted to come into the spotlight."
"I always had dreams and plans of doing my own thing and creating my own image, so it came a little sooner than I thought it would, but this is still something I knew I would be going through and would have to experience," the New York University junior added.
And while he has received a ton of public support since his sexual orientation became news, Johnson has also been the victim of "nasty" comments online.
"It's almost like they're attacking me for being me, and to that, I can only say, 'Well, I can only be myself, so I don't really know what you want me to do,'" he said.
Fortunately, Johnson has never had any issues when it comes to his loved ones, who he came out to as a teenager.
"I am very, very, very blessed to have the family that I do," he told Bragman. "My parents have always been super supportive. My sister and I have always been really close and she's been really supportive, as with my brother."
Eyeing the future, Johnson is hoping to have a career on air.
"I would love to have a talk show someday and just be another voice for [my] generation and, you know, be the voice for young gay people who need someone to be on TV or wherever else to talk to them, and talk about all kinds of issues that all of us face. Not just homosexual issues, but all kinds of issues."