Hannah Neeleman of @ballerinafarm fame was the subject of a profile last week that set the internet on fire.
Earlier this year, the beauty pageant queen, influencer, co-runner of Ballerina Farm (yes, there is an actual farm), and Mormon mother of eight made the possible mistake of admitting a UK Times journalist into her home. The resulting profile, in which journalist Megan Agnew referred to Hannah as “the tradwife queen” was, at best, unflattering. Many readers found it deeply worrying.
What Happened In The Ballerina Farm Article
Agnew wrote that she had difficulty speaking to Neeleman alone. She found her husband, Daniel Neeleman, constantly interrupted her. Then, Neeleman wistfully described giving up her ballet career in a way that Agnew interpreted as regretful. It was also revealed (by Daniel Neeleman) that Neeleman frequently got so sick from exhaustion that she was often in bed for over a week. And then there was the couple’s approach to procreation.
The Neelmans disclosed they do not use birth control, resulting in Neeleman’s seemingly back-to-back pregnancies. Most upsettingly for many readers, the revelation that Neeleman didn’t use pain medication during the majority of her births, with the exception of one her husband wasn’t present.
The Ballerina Farm Backlash
The article has left many with the impression that Neeleman is not content with her life. It’s triggered a Rapunzel-in-the-tower rescue response from an audience on TikTok convinced Neeleman is in trouble. Comments can be found all over her videos encouraging her to ‘run’ and ‘give him [Daniel Neeleman] full custody and go.‘
We can only assume the interview is not what the Neelemans hoped for, but it’s disastrous for the tradwife movement. Women who identify as traditional wives (Neeleman does not) spend much of their time online defending their lifestyle and reassuring critics that they are neither abused nor controlled. They preach a language of choice that Times readers would be left struggling to believe. Instead, they’re left with the image of Neeleman as a forlorn victim.
But, Hannah Neeleman Says She Loves Her Life
@ballerinafarm I’m calling it “Dairy Date Night” @Daniel ♬ original sound – Ballerina Farm
Neeleman has not commented, but she has posted a TikTok that could be interpreted as an aesthetically agrarian press release.
Titled “Dairy Date Night,” the TikTok features the Neeleman’s kissing in a field. Daniel is clad in boots and a cowboy hat and the two hold their youngest child between them. It’s Edenic. Hannah’s voiceover says, “When we started to farm, I was swept up in the beauty of learning to make food from scratch… It’s a world we created, and I couldn’t love it more.”
While Neeleman’s video is a picturesquely diplomatic response, some tradwives and fans have come to her defence more aggressively. Grace at @thatjoyfilledhome said: “Riddle me this: how did we go from hating someone because they’re cosplaying being poor… to then hating her because she must have nannies… to now feeling pity for her for an article that came out that most likely isn’t accurate and has much bias. Why is it? Because culture hates women who feel fulfilled by being a wife and a mother.”
@alyssadgrenfell When will we get to hear Hannah’s voice? #mormon #utah #exmormon ♬ original sound – Alyssa Grenfell
Several other commenters expressed pity, pointing out that the article was unlikely to be complimentary. Alyssa Grenfell, an ex-Mormon, shared her thoughts. “What I was thinking the whole time is that Mormons are naive, and they trust the wrong people.” She continued, “There’s a reason you’ll never see Trump go on MSNBC, and there’s a reason you’ll never see Biden go on Fox News, and that’s because you don’t grant that sort of an interview to an antagonistic force.”
Another poster points out the “unpopular opinion that the writer was going to write a story that made Hannah a victim to an oppressive husband whether she spent the day with them or not.” Yet another said, “Watching Ballerina Farm be so excited for this interview just for the journalist to twist her words and start it with such a biased drive is what is sad.”
All we know? The internet loves a tradwife scandal.
Related Posts:
- 9 Moments From The ‘Ballerina Farm’ Interview That Have Us Rethinking Trad Wife Content
- J.D. Vance Thinks Women Should Stay In The Kitchen, His Wife Is A Yale Law Graduate
- Jennifer Aniston Had The Best Response To J.D. Vance’s ‘Childless Cat Ladies’ Comment
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
