'Tradwife' Debate: Ballerina Farm’s Hannah Neeleman Hoped for Birthday Trip But Wealthy Husband Gave Apron Instead

Utah influencer and mom-of-eight Hannah Neeleman, who runs the Ballerina Farm with her husband, Daniel Neeleman, has recently made headlines after being featured in a viral profile about her huge social media following and whether she's a part of the so-called tradwife lifestyle. 

That story has stirred plenty of discussion — even as Hannah has said she doesn't "necessarily identify" with tradwives overall — and inspired even more people to offer opinions about the Neeleman family.

A resurfaced video showing one of Daniel's past birthday gifts to Hannah has prompted more debate.

In the clip, widely shared by others online, the Juilliard-trained dancer opens a birthday present from her husband.

“I’m hoping they're tickets to Greece,” she says as she opens up the cardboard box.

When he notes it came from Ukraine, Hannah quips, with eyebrows raised: "So — plane tickets?"

As she unboxes the mystery item, she jokes again, "Ooh! A hat I can wear in Greece!”

The gift was much closer to home: an egg apron she could wear on the family’s farm.

In the video, Hannah chuckles a bit as she tries it on. She smiles and does a little jig while holding it around her waist before thanking Daniel.

One reposted video of the gift-giving has since been viewed more than 46 million times, with disapproving commenters voicing concerns and frustrations on Hannah's behalf.

Many also noted that, beyond the couple having built a successful influencer career, Daniel comes from a successful background, as his dad helped found multiple airlines.

"Daniel how did we drop the ball on this," one user wrote while another weighed in: "This broke my heart."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In an interview with The Times of London for a piece published earlier this month, igniting a new wave of fascination with their family, Daniel and Hannah took differing views on the tradwife label.

“We can’t help it. This is what we are,” he said. “If we’re trad dad, trad wife, so be it.”

But Hannah told the outlet she sees it another way. “I don’t necessarily identify with it because we are traditional in the sense that it’s a man and a woman, we have children, but I do feel like we’re paving a lot of paths that haven’t been paved before.”

Though the phrase “tradwife” does not technically have a definition, it is generally defined as a woman who advocates for and follows conventional gender norms in relationships, especially their own.

A group of influencers have also embraced the lifestyle in their popular content.

By 2020, tradwives gained mainstream attention and success. But they have also been criticized for promoting gender inequality, and some believe they undermine the progress women have made toward individual rights.

Hannah, for her part, has insisted that she is not familiar with the term.

“We try so hard to be neutral and be ourselves and people will put a label on everything,” she told the Times this month. “This is just our normal life.”

"[Daniel] says you can’t lean into what people are saying or the titles people are putting on you," she said then. "You just have to live your life and shut that out."