William LaMarr Johnson Met the Mother of His Son in His Youth

William LaMarr "Mark" Johnson's relationship with Hollywood star Taraji P. Henson began in their adolescence and was on and off as the years progressed. The pair welcomed a son, but Johnson's life ended untimely when the youngster was nine.

The romance between William LaMarr "Mark" Johnson and Taraji P. Henson had as many moments of bliss as it did awful ones. Their lives took starkly different directions as they grew, but Henson was sure she wanted Johnson to be part of her life.

From the moment their relationship began, Henson firmly believed in being his wife and the mother of his children someday. Though the latter came true, their relationship ended when their child was about a year old. Eight years later, Johnson's life was brutally taken.

William Met His Future Girlfriend in His Youth

Johnson met Henson in the summer of 1987 in Riverside, Maryland. The two, who were 18 and 17, respectively, were visiting the Riverside Theater to watch movies with their friends and waiting in the lobby when they laid eyes on each other, as Henson recalled:

"I saw him [...] standing there and staring at me with these great big ol' eyes as if he were in a trance."

Though Johnson hadn't said a single word, he made Henson feel like the "most beautiful girl in the world" just by looking at her. She was completely enamored with him, his "beautiful smile," and his style.

Henson initially hesitated to approach him in the presence of his friends but eventually walked up and snatched his popcorn from his hands. She coyly asked if the snack was for her, and Johnson told her she could have some if she liked.

Although they were going to see different films, both Johnson and Henson and their entourages ended up seeing the same movie. Johnson sat behind his new love interest, flirting with her, whispering in her ear, and playing with her hair.

By then, Henson already had her number inscribed on a crumpled piece of paper, just waiting for him to ask for it. He called her the following day, and they spoke about "everything under the sun and nothing" for hours and well into the night.

A few more days later, after enjoying a date at Denny's, Johnson and Henson had their first kiss. When they departed, Johnson took off excitedly into the parking lot, doing cartwheels for his new girlfriend, as she recalled:

"When he somersaulted for me, I fell for him. Hard."

William's Views on Relationships Differed from His Girlfriend's

In her 2016 memoir "Around the Way Girl," Henson said she wanted a "forever love" with Johnson. She added that if he told her he wanted to marry and settle down with children, she felt more than ready at the time.

However, Johnson saw things differently. Considering how young they were then, Henson's high school sweetheart wasn't ready for "I dos" and was still figuring out his place in the world. Two years into their relationship, the young lovers broke up.

According to Henson, Johnson was the one who ended things. Yet when he saw her dancing in front of another man who showed interest in her, he didn't allow it. He marched to the dancing pair, snatched Henson from the potential suitor, and sneered, "don't get cute."

Over the following year, their lives changed drastically but in different ways. By 1991, Henson had moved out of her father's basement and rented an apartment while working as a singer and performer on a cruise ship.

She was even earning enough to pay for her tuition at Howard University after transferring from North Carolina AT&T. During that time, Johnson had gotten two women pregnant only months apart, both of whom gave birth to his daughters.

The responsibility of caring for two children was overwhelming for him. Yet, despite the breakup and the babies, Henson's feelings for Johnson were still strong. They eventually rekindled their romance, and the actress embraced Johnson's daughters, helping care for them whenever they visited their father.

William's Third Child Was a Boy

Sometime in 1993, Henson and Johnson were going through another separation when Henson discovered that she was carrying his child. Johnson initially didn't believe her, but after receiving confirmation from a doctor, he was more than willing to support her.

While he worked, Henson was also in decent financial standing, making "good money" at another cruise ship as a supervisor and doing gigs around her town. During her pregnancy, he was ever-present, ensuring she ate, rubbed her back, prayed with her, and made her laugh.

He became acquainted with Henson's family, who welcomed him with open arms, leaving his beau feeling content and hopeful of their shared future. They welcomed their son, Marcell, in May 1994, at Presbyterian Hospital in Washington, D.C.

William and Taraji Broke up When Their Son Was about 1

Although their home life was initially blissful, with Johnson being an attentive dad, things changed as their responsibilities accumulated. Johnson developed a temper that worsened and grew violent over time, and their arguments became more frequent.

One evening, when Henson was meant to be at work and was alone waiting with Marcell, Johnson was away with her car. When he returned, it wasn't long before another screaming match began.

And before Henson knew it, she took a blow to the mouth from Johnson. Marcell was about a year old and was present when this fight broke out. Henson had fallen on her bed and cried as she kicked Johnson out of her apartment, ending their relationship.

William Passed Away at a Young Age

Johnson was murdered during a quarrel with his neighbors in 2003. His passing made the newspapers, but Henson struggled to break the news to her then-nine-year-old son without hiding some details, so she told told Marcell his dad died in an accident.

Two years later, she also lost her father. Much like Jessica Alba and her eldest daughter, though for different reasons, Henson sought therapy with her son. The "Empire" co-star, opposite Terrence Howard, said it helped her and Marcell tremendously and became a mental health advocate for the African American community.