There's no question that the recent "tradwife" movement is one of the most polarizing trends to emerge in the history of social media , and Hannah Neeleman —creator of the popular Instagram account Ballerina Farm boasting 9.6 million followers—is one of the most famous tradwives of all (even if the mother-of-eight has said she doesn't necessarily identify as such). Now, in the wake of a viral profile in The Sunday Times which included shocking details about her life as a wife and mom, Hannah has spoken out in defense of her family.
Almost immediately after the Times article was published on July 20, a fiery debate ensued online between Hannah's critics and fans. The most concerning point about the profile for many was the stark difference between the idyllic lifestyle Hannah presents online and the challenging reality of her day-to-day experiences.
The pageant queen, 34, left behind a promising career as a Juilliard-trained ballet dancer to marry her husband, Daniel Neeleman (son of JetBlue founder, David Neeleman ). Now, the couple lives on a ranch in Utah with their eight children, who range in age from a few months to 12 years. In her posts on Instagram, Hannah can be seen milking cows, baking bread from scratch, and seemingly blissfully engaging in other domestic activities.
However, in her interview with the Times , a less romanticized picture emerged. For example, Daniel said Hannah often suffers from exhaustion so severe that she can't get out of bed for a week, but he is against the idea of hiring nannies to help. David reportedly continually interrupted his wife when she was speaking to journalist Megan Agnew , who wrote the article, and in one of the only instances when Daniel left the two alone to talk, she admitted that the single time she got an epidural during childbirth—when her husband happened to be out of town—was an "amazing experience." When Agnew asked the couple, who are Mormon, whether they agree with the faith's opposition of elective abortions, Daniel argued that "the church is a lot more lenient than a lot of states in the US. The church is against ‘I’m going to get an abortion because I’m not happy I’m pregnant’. We see the joy of having kids,” he said. “And the sanctity of life,” Neeleman agreed.
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On July 31, Hannah broke her silence regarding the profile and surrounding backlash with a video posted to Instagram. In the clip, she says that she's not "oppressed" by David and that this narrative couldn't be "further from the truth."
“We thought the interview went really well,” she said. “We were taken [aback] however, when we saw the printed article—which shocked us, and shocked the world by it being an attack on my family and my marriage.”
In the video, which shows Hannah and her husband working out in an enormous home gym, Hannah says she and Daniel are "co–diaper changers and co-CEOs," and claims Agnew had a "predetermined agenda" when writing the article.
In a second post, Hannah suggests readers check out her story in "[her] own words" on Ballerina Farm's "About Us" page.
Despite the widespread scrutiny of the Neeleman family—and concern for Hannah's well-being—the social media star still has plenty of supporters.
"I’ve been here for a long time… watched your family evolve. They sensationalized your life to turn it into click bait. I’m sorry your authenticity and your vulnerability has been put on blast by media that should be ashamed of themselves," wrote one commenter.
"She picked a multi-millionaire husband. They share a faith. She’s fine. Relax. It’s not a hostage situation. 🙄," said a second person.
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