diff --git a/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.stories.tsx b/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.stories.tsx
index f1110d3..641ba54 100644
--- a/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.stories.tsx
@@ -135,6 +135,55 @@ export const DangerouslySetInnerHtml: Story = {
   },
 };
 
+export const FirstElementChild: Story = {
+  render(): ReactElement {
+    const splitTextRef = useRef<SplitText>(null);
+
+    const animation = useAnimation(() => {
+      if (!splitTextRef.current) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      return gsap.from(splitTextRef.current.lines, {
+        y: 20,
+        opacity: 0,
+        duration: 0.2,
+        stagger: 0.05,
+      });
+    }, []);
+
+    const onPlay = useCallback(() => {
+      animation.current?.play(0);
+    }, [animation]);
+
+    return (
+      <>
+        <SplitTextWrapper
+          ref={splitTextRef}
+          variables={{ type: 'lines' }}
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{
+            // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/naming-convention
+            __html:
+              '<div>Lorem ipsum dolor sit <i>amet consectetur</i> <br /> adipisicing elit. <b>Tenetur perspiciatis</b> eius ea, ratione,<br /> illo molestias, <code>quia sapiente</code> modi quo<br /> molestiae temporibus.</div>',
+          }}
+          splitFirstElementChild
+        />
+        <button
+          onClick={onPlay}
+          type="button"
+          style={{
+            position: 'relative',
+            marginBlockStart: 20,
+            cursor: 'pointer',
+          }}
+        >
+          Play
+        </button>
+      </>
+    );
+  },
+};
+
 export const AsProp: Story = {
   render(): ReactElement {
     const splitText1Ref = useRef<SplitText>(null);
diff --git a/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.tsx b/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.tsx
index 4d5fc2a..88a8196 100644
--- a/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-animation/src/SplitTextWrapper/SplitTextWrapper.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ type SplitTextWrapperProps<T extends KnownTarget> = {
    * The element type to render, the default is `div`
    */
   as?: T;
+
+  /**
+   * Split the first element child instead of the element itself to
+   * accommodate for rich text children
+   */
+  splitFirstElementChild?: boolean;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -43,7 +49,7 @@ type SplitTextWrapperComponent = <T extends KnownTarget = 'div'>(
 
 // @ts-expect-error polymorphic type is not compatible with ensuredForwardRef function factory
 export const SplitTextWrapper: SplitTextWrapperComponent = ensuredForwardRef(
-  ({ variables = {}, as, children, ...props }, ref) => {
+  ({ variables = {}, as, children, splitFirstElementChild = false, ...props }, ref) => {
     /**
      * Not using useCallback on purpose so that a new SplitText instance is
      * created whenever this component rerenders the children
@@ -53,7 +59,17 @@ export const SplitTextWrapper: SplitTextWrapperComponent = ensuredForwardRef(
         return;
       }
 
-      ref.current = new SplitText(element, variables);
+      if (splitFirstElementChild && element.childElementCount > 1) {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+        console.warn(
+          "Split text wrapper should only contain 1 element when 'splitFirstElementChild' is set to true",
+        );
+      }
+
+      ref.current = new SplitText(
+        splitFirstElementChild ? element.firstElementChild : element,
+        variables,
+      );
     };
 
     const Component = (as ?? 'div') as unknown as ComponentType<unknown>;