Conjoined twin Abby Hensel from Abby & Brittany privately married army veteran
Conjoined twin Abby Hensel, who starred in the reality show Abby & Brittany, privately married an army veteran, Josh Bowling, it has emerged.
According to public records obtained by Today, Abby, now 34, and Bowling first tied the knot back in 2021. The publication also noted that the couple lives in Minnesota, where Abby and Brittany teach fifth grade. Meanwhile, Bowling is a nurse and United States Army veteran.
The Hensels’ Facebook profile pic appears to be them at the wedding, as the conjoined twins were wearing a white, lace dress. For his nuptials, Bowling wore a white button-down shirt and grey suit.
On his Facebook, Bowling has shared various photos of him with the conjoined twins on different occasions, including one from when they went snow tubing and another from a hiking trip. He also indicated in his bio that he’s a father.
Abby and Brittany Hensel are dicephalus conjoined twins, a rare form of conjoined twins who are “fused side-by-side with the same pelvis,” as noted by the National Institute of Health. Their two heads are on one torso, as they have separate brains, hearts, and other organs. They share all organs below the waist and bloodstream, as Abby controls the right arm and leg and Brittany controls the left arm and leg.
The twins – who were born in 1990 – first publicly shared their story in 1996, when they appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996. In 2012, they were in their own TLC reality show, Abby & Brittany, which followed their lives after they graduated from Minnesota’s Bethel College and were preparing to go to Europe for a teaching job.
“People have been curious about us since we were born, for obvious reasons,” the twins said during the first episode of the series, as reported by ABC News. “But our parents never let us use that as an excuse. We were raised to believe we could do anything we wanted to do.”
In the reality show, they also opened up about how they coordinate everyday activities with each other, from getting ready for a party to grabbing groceries from the shelves in their home.
“When it comes to decisions, there are compromises we have to make,” Abby said. “We take turns. We want to work it so each of us is happy and we find a happy medium.”
During an interview with Time magazine in 2001, the twins’ parents – Mike and Patty – discussed the idea of their children getting married one day. At the time, Mike specified that his daughters were asking about ultimately finding husbands, before he thought “why not?” to the idea, since other conjoined twins have gotten married.
“They’re good-looking girls. They’re witty. They’ve got everything going for them, except...” he said, before pausing and adding: “...they’re together.”
Mike also noted that he and his wife dismissed the idea of separating the twins when they were born since doctors said that there was only a slight chance that both Abby and Brittany would survive the procedure. “How could you pick between the two?” he said.
In more than a decade since Abby & Brittany aired, the conjoined twins have largely kept their personal lives out of the spotlight.
The Independent has contacted Abby and Brittany for comment.
