Abby and Brittany Hensel, the conjoined twins who gained fame through their TLC reality series, have recently expanded their family unit. Abby Hensel, the twin who controls the left side of their shared body, tied the knot with Josh Bowling, a nurse and U.S. Army veteran, in 2021. The couple resides in Minnesota, the home state of the Hensel twins.
The Hensel sisters, now 34, have largely retreated from the public eye since their reality show, “Abby & Brittany,” concluded in 2012. However, they have continued to lead fulfilling lives in Minnesota, where they were born and raised. The “Today” show reported that both sisters work as fifth-grade teachers in their home state.
The news of Abby’s marriage to Bowling remained a secret until 2023 when the couple shared images of their wedding ceremony on their TikTok account, @abbyandbrittanyhensel. A video clip from the wedding, posted by a guest on Facebook, offered a glimpse into the private celebration. The footage showed the couple sharing a dance and a kiss at their reception. Abby and Brittany wore a white, sleeveless bridal gown with a laced back, while Bowling donned a grey suit.
The Hensel twins first came into the public eye in 1996 when they appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” to discuss their lives as dicephalus conjoined twins. This rare condition results in two heads on a single body, with one genital system, two to four arms, two hearts, and two legs. Abby and Brittany share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist, with Abby controlling the right side of their body and Brittany the left.
When the twins were born in 1990, their parents, Patty and Mike Hensel, decided against separation surgery due to the high risk involved. Despite the challenges they face as conjoined twins, Abby and Brittany have achieved significant milestones, including obtaining their driver’s licenses at 16, graduating from college, traveling to Europe, and becoming educators.
While there’s no news yet on whether the couple plans to expand their family, the twins have previously expressed interest in motherhood. In the 2003 documentary “Joined for Life,” Brittany stated, “Yeah, we’re going to be moms. We haven’t thought about how being moms is going to work yet. But we’re just 16 — we don’t need to think about that right now.” The couple is in no rush to have children, as Bowling already has a child from a previous relationship.