- House Speaker Mike Johnson's "adopted" Black son has spoken publicly about him for the first time.
- Michael Tirrell James told DailyMail.com he would "probably be in prison" if it wasn't for Johnson.
- The 40-year-old has had several run-ins with the law over the years.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson's "adopted" Black son has spoken publicly about him for the first time, following reports questioning why he has stayed out of the spotlight.
Michael Tirrell James, 40, told DailyMail.com that he would "probably be in prison" if it wasn't for Johnson.
"If the Johnsons hadn't taken me in as a teenager, my life would look very different today. I would probably be in prison, or I might not have made it at all," James told the outlet.
Johnson and his wife took custody of James when he became homeless at the age of 16 and raised him as their son, per the outlet, and he lived in their home in Baton Rouge, Louisana.
James, a father of four, later had a series of run-ins with the law, being convicted of a series of petty crimes, including drug possession, retail theft, and violating a restraining order.
"I always felt loved like I was a part of their family," James told DailyMail.com. "They have been there for me when I have been lost and in the deepest valleys, and I know it was hard at times to constantly help someone who didn't always get it right."
Johnson, a Louisiana congressman and a committed Christian, told the outlet that he believes "God intended for Michael to be a part of our lives."
"Kelly and I have always seen him as one of our own. Despite any mistakes he's made, we love Michael and are blessed to have him in our family," Johnson said.
Though he raised him as his own, Johnson said he never formally adopted James because of the "lengthy adoption process," according to The New York Times.
James has never participated in Johnson's political career or campaigned for him.
Johnson's communications director, Corinne Day, told Newsweek that James' absence was because he "was an adult with a family of his own" and "asked not to be involved in their new public life."
Johnson has previously compared their experience to "The Blind Side," a 2009 movie starring Sandra Bullock, in which a white couple takes in a Black teenager who goes on to become a football star, per The Times.
