Magic Johnson's 20-year-old son, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III, says he's surprised by the public interest in his coming out gay.

Johnson was spotted by a TMZ.com film crew in Los Angeles earlier this month holding hands with a male friend. In comments to TMZ.com, the elder Johnson said he backs his son.

EJ Johnson told Gwissues host Howard Bragman that he was “reveling” in the experience.

“I didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal since I had been out to my family and friends for at least five years, now. … It was almost as if I was coming out of the closet again. … Just to have the media and have everybody involved has been a completely different experience, but I'm reveling in it and, you know, I'm making it work to my advantage.”

“I always wanted to come into the spotlight,” he added. “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.”

Johnson, a junior at New York University studying event management and design, added that he was “very blessed to have the family that I do.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.)

(Related: Magic Johnson asked son EJ whether he's gay.)