Her story went viral on Humans of New York. Who is USC grad Venus Morris Griffin?

A 13-part rags-to-riches story written about a former University of South Carolina couple on the Humans of New York Facebook and Instagram pages caught the attention of tens of thousands of people around the world as it unfolded throughout the day Thursday.

By the time the last post was published, almost 40,000 people had commented, virtually all praising the strength of Venus Morris Griffin, whose first husband, Tripp Morris, is in a Georgia prison, convicted of child molestation.

Griffin wrote about how deep in debt she was after Tripp went to prison. She said she was left to raise six children on her own in a community that she felt wanted her to hide in shame.

She refused to do that and, in fact, became the top-selling real estate agent in Augusta, Georgia, and over 10 years sold almost $500 million in real estate. She has written a book titled “Validated” and is a motivational speaker.

A spokesperson said Griffin had promised not to talk about her story until the last installment was posted, and she wanted to talk with her agent in Hollywood. The State has reached out to request an interview.

Griffin’s Facebook page says she is from Kershaw, S.C., and attended Andrew Jackson High School in Kershaw and Maurice J. McDonough High School, which is in Maryland. She studied political science at USC in the early 1990s. She lists her profession as a vice president at Meybohm Real Estate. Augusta residents have noted that her real estate billboards, which feature a prominent “V,” are ubiquitous in the area.

Her story is one of several long-form interviews that Humans of New York has told after shifting its focus from short stories of individuals met on the streets of New York.

Brandon Stanton, a Georgia native, started Humans of New York as a photography project in 2010. His intention was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers he met randomly. He posted their photos on Facebook.

Then, he began to tell their stories with quotes and snippets of information, he said on the Humans of New York website.

Two best-selling books of his work have been published, and he is followed by millions of people on social media.

When the pandemic struck New York City, he moved his family back to Georgia. A New York magazine story on Stanton said he lives with his wife, Erin, and two young daughters.

He did not respond to a request for comment on Griffin’s no-holds-barred story, which resonated with so many readers around the world.

“I so relate with this woman,” commented Kim Sabow, who is from Iowa. “When you grow up in chaos/dysfunction, you miss important things....like how to read people, how to see red flags, how to know when things are amiss.”

Minnesota resident Eric Jungels said he was at times on the edge of his seat and at others near tears.

“Humans of New York killed it today,” he wrote.

Barbara Downey of Arlington, Massachusetts, commented, “I hope she knows what a rockstar she is!!!”

One woman, Dana Claire, of Dewitt, Arkansas, whose Facebook page says she’s originally from Charleston, offered this: “I’m glad I’m on vacation because I’d be fired today for lack of productivity.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 9:07 AM.