If you’ve been following the whirlwind of TikTok videos this past week, you’ll know that everyone has been obsessed with the Ballerina Farm (aka Hannah Neeleman). The ex-ballerina turned farm goddess, has had quite the following for a while now for her picturesque videos idealizing the “trad wife” lifestyle. She raises eight children on a farm, makes everything from scratch Nara-Smith-style and makes it all look so effortlessly fabulous. But let’s be real — there’s a lot more going on behind those curated shots. Enter Daniel Neeleman, her husband, who has gotten a lot of attention since the The Times Ballerina Farm interview.
Who Is Hannah Neeleman’s Husband?
@ballerinafarm Fresh morning milk and @Daniel ♬ original sound – Ballerina Farm
Meet Daniel Neeleman, the son of David Neeleman, the CEO of JetBlue. Oh! You thought he was some sort of lowly farmer who is now living out his dreams because his wife went viral on TikTok? Nope, not even close. While Hannah is out here making farm life look like a fairytale, Daniel’s background screams anything but humble farmhand. I mean, it’s no wonder they can “enjoy” a soft, calm farm life with no other responsibilities — he’s fucking rich! And yet, they continue to feed into this idea that they’re very old-fashioned and like to live off the land — even though Daniel’s father’s net worth is about $400 million.
*That* Birthday Present
@hannal.ballerinafarm ❤️❤️❤️ #foryou #ballerinafarm ♬ original sound – hannal.ballerinafarm
To better understand the couple’s dynamic, let’s talk about that birthday fiasco. Hannah mentioned she really wanted tickets to Greece to celebrate her 34th. She mentioned it like a hundred times. What did she get? An egg apron. And yes, that means an apron to hold your eggs in. I mean, really? The man is the son of the CEO of JetBlue!! He wouldn’t even have to pay for the flights. Fans were quick to notice the not-so-subtle messaging behind this gift.
After The Times Ballerina Farm Interview
View this post on Instagram
Remember that recent interview with The Times? Yeah, the one where the reporter found it challenging to even speak with Hannah without Daniel interrupting with his opinion. For many readers, the takeaway was that while Hannah is out there dancing in fields and milking cows (and taking care of eight children), Daniel is the one orchestrating the whole operation and pushing the narrative that a trad wife lifestyle should be the goal for everyone. His business-savvy, likely inherited from his airline mogul dad, is all over their social media strategy and farm management.
According to Megan Agnew, the reporter of the viral interview, Daniel had always imagined “this enormous, daring life for himself, despite growing up in the Connecticut suburbs without a single animal, the son of an airline founder.” It comes as no surprise that he holds “traditional views,” including the expectation that his wife stays home with the children. Or in his words, he was a “firm believer,” that men “make stuff work” and women “beautify.”
Since the interview, the couple’s received a lot of backlash about the dangers of idealizing this type of lifestyle when it usually comes at the expense of the hopes, dreams, and mental health of the wife. But since then, Hannah and Daniel posted a reel on Instagram which seems like it could be a response to all the hate they’ve been receiving. The video is just footage of her, Daniel, and one of their babies, walking through their dairy farm, kissing and holding hands. A voiceover of Hannah explains that she fell in love with making food from scratch and that she wanted a way to share those products with the world. It seemed more like an announcement that they’d have a brand coming out soon than anything else, but the videos of them kissing and walking through the fields appears very coded.
