Conjoined Twins Brittany & Abby Hensel Clap Back at "Loud" Comments
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Originally appeared on E! Online
Brittany and Abby Hensel aren't going anywhere.
Amid news of Abby's marriage to Josh Bowling, the conjoined twins—whose inspiring journey has been told in numerous documentaries—let others know that they'll never be silenced. In fact, as the 34-year-old sisters pointed out, their story is one that stands the test of time.
"The internet is extra LOUD today," Brittany and Abby captioned a March 28 TikTok video showing various ancient sculptures of conjoined twins. "We have always been around."
Brittany and Abby first gained national attention in 1996, when they appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to share how they navigate life through their unique dynamic. Though they each can sleep, eat and talk separately, Brittany—who is anatomically joined to her sibling from the belly button down—operate one body, resulting in the siblings needing to be highly in sync with one another.
Their case was also explored in the 2007's Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body. As discussed in the doc, Brittany controls the left limbs while Abby controls the right. They also each have their own heart, brain, set of lungs, stomach and kidney, but share other organs such as the liver and the bladder.
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"We are totally different people," Brittany noted. "We usually bargain with each other like, ‘If you do this, I'll do that.' Or we take turns."
After starring in their 2012 TLC reality series Abby & Brittany, the Minnesota natives retreated from the public spotlight to focus on their transition to adulthood. In recent years, the pair chose not to publicly discuss certain details of their lives, including Abby's 2021 wedding to her husband Josh, though they recently shared images of them all together on TikTok.
As Brittany previously shared in their 2006's Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16, "The whole world doesn't need to know who we're dating or what we're gonna do and everything."
Read on to learn more about Brittany and Abby.
Abby and Brittany’s Surprise Arrival
Abby and Brittany were born on March 7, 1990. Their mother, Patty Hensel, shared in a 2007 documentary Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body that she only expected to deliver one baby when she gave birth based on scans. Abby and Brittany were initially born with three arms, but had one removed as it wasn’t functional.
Patty and her husband Mike Hensel were told Abby and Brittany were inseparable as babies. And while Patty explained that separation may have been possible as the girls matured, the parents chose to keep them conjoined as they were able to live a full, healthy life together.
"We never wish we were separated," Abby and Brittany both explained in the 2007 documentary. "Because then we wouldn't get to do the things we can do—play softball, meet new people, run."
A Singular Bond
In the 2007 documentary, Abby and Brittany explained that they are often able to anticipate what the other will say when curating an email or online message. In fact, they tend to refer to themselves as one person, unless they disagree. In those cases, they'll say "Abby says" or "Brittany says."
They also now share singular social media accounts, which are private and mostly inactive.
Abby and Brittany Understand the Curiosity—To a Point
Abby and Brittany have long expressed their understanding of people's curiosity toward their life. Still, they admitted to feeling frustration at the reaction they’re met with in public, especially people taking their photo without permission.
“We absolutely hate when people take pictures of us” Abby explained in 2007. “And we will throw a fit about it, and make them embarrassed.”
Additionally, while doctors were curious about their health and growing process as children, Mike and Patty Hensel did not allow any unnecessary tests be done on their daughters. Brittany and Abby also said the doctor's office was their least favorite place to go at the time.
“While they are unique, the family wants to treat them like they are just like anyone else,” the family’s doctor Joy Westerdahl explained in 2007. “I have to be mindful of the family’s wishes not to get too involved.”
Abby’s Blended Family
After marrying Josh Bowling, a nurse and veteran, Abby gained another family member—his 8-year-old daughter Isabella. The couple officially tied the knot on November 13, 2021. And while the news was shocking to the public, Abby and Brittany have always had starting a family on their minds.
"Yeah, we're going to be moms," Brittany said in Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16 in 2006. "We haven't thought about how being moms is going to work yet."
Their Foray Into Reality TV
Now in their thirties, Abby and Brittany have maintained their privacy since Abby & Brittany aired in 2012. The one-season reality series depicted the young women's lives as they wrapped up college and entered into adulthood.
Life Outside the Spotlight
Abby and Brittany began working as a teacher shortly after graduating college. When they were initially hired, they shared they were not in a salaried position, but were given separate contracts, and split their pay.
They currently teach fifth grade together at an elementary school in Minnesota.
“Math and science is kind of my strong point,” Abby explained on an episode of Abby & Brittany. “Where Brittany is more focused on the language arts, reading—stuff like that.”
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