Abby and Brittany Hensel: What are the conjoined twins doing now?
Abby and Brittany Hensel are American conjoined twins. They first attracted attention after appearing in an Oprah Winfrey Show episode in 1996. The twins have been through multiple ups and downs of life and are now grown-ups pursuing their careers. Numerous people are fascinated by their lives, especially their love lives.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Profile summary
- Who are Abby and Brittany Hensel?
- Are Abby and Brittany Hensel still alive?
- How old are Abby and Brittany Hensel?
- Where are Abby and Brittany Hensel from?
- Who are Abby and Brittany Hensel's parents?
- Could Abby and Brittany be separated now?
- Educational background
- Career
- Did Abby and Brittany Hensel get married?
- Did Abby and Brittany have a baby?
- Abby and Brittany Hensel's sad news: Josh's paternity case
- Where are Abby and Brittany Hensel today?
- How tall are the Hensel twins?
- Trivia
Abby and Brittany Hensel share the unique experience of being conjoined twins. They shot to fame in 1996 after appearing on an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show. The twin sisters launched their reality TV series, Abby and Brittany. Find out more about them today.
Profile summary
| Full names | Abigail Loraine Hensel and Brittany Lee Hensel |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 7 March 1990 |
| Age | 34 years (as of 2024) |
| Place of birth | New Germany, Carver County, Minnesota, United States of America |
| Current residence | New Brighton, Minnesota, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Abigail’s height | 5 ft 2 in (157 cm) |
| Brittany's height | 4 ft 10 in (147 cm) |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Marital status | Married (Abby)/ Single (Brittany) |
| Father | Mike Hensel |
| Mother | Patty Hensel |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Alma mater | Mayer Lutheran High School and Bethel University |
| Profession | Elementary school teachers |
Who are Abby and Brittany Hensel?
Abby and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twins who are currently working as elementary school teachers. They came into the limelight years ago when they appeared in an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The twins were initially born with three arms, but had one removed as it was not functional.
Are Abby and Brittany Hensel still alive?
Yes, the conjoined twins are still alive. In fact, they are working as elementary school teachers in the United States of America. Rumours that Abby and Brittany Hensel died are unfounded.
How old are Abby and Brittany Hensel?
The conjoined twins are 34 years old as of 2024. They were born on 7 March 1990, and their Zodiac sign is Pisces.
Source: Original
Where are Abby and Brittany Hensel from?
The famous twins were born and raised in New Germany, Carver County, Minnesota, United States of America. Their nationality is American, and their ethnicity is White. They reside in New Brighton, Minnesota.
Who are Abby and Brittany Hensel's parents?
The conjoined twins' mother is Patty, a registered nurse, and their father is Mike, a carpenter and landscaper. Patty and Mike have two younger children, a boy and a girl named Morgan and Cody.
Could Abby and Brittany be separated now?
Abby and Brittany Hensel cannot get separated now. At birth, doctors discovered they were dicephalic parapagus twins.
This means that they have a single body, but each has a separate heart, stomach, spine, pair of lungs, and spinal cord. From the waist downwards, the twins share all body organs.
At birth, Patty and Mike were informed by the doctors that their chances of survival, if operated on, were minimal. As a result, they decided not to have the twins separated.
As the twins grew, they learned to cooperate to do simple activities such as crawling, walking, and clapping. They have learned to agree on everything, including dressing, meals, and playing sports.
Educational background
The conjoined twins went to a local elementary school in Minnesota. They proceeded to Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer. After graduating high school, they joined Bethel University in St. Paul and graduated in 2012.
Career
The conjoined twins have achieved great milestones by working as a team. They are currently working as fifth-grade teachers at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota. The professional teachers teach mathematics.
They now drive to work after passing their driver's license exam. Interestingly, they took the driving test twice, one for Abby and the other for Brittany.
The twins have perfected the art of coordination. They move seamlessly and have overcome more complex activities together. It is for this reason that Abby and Brittany launched their own reality TV series, Abby and Brittany, in 2012.
The reality show lasted one season. It followed the lives of the twins as they graduated college, travelled to Europe, and sought their first job. Abby and Brittany have appeared in multiple shows, narrating their stories. They have been featured in the productions listed below.
| Show/ production | Year |
| Dateline NBC | 1998 |
| Joined For Life | 2003 |
| The Oprah Winfrey Show | 2006 |
| Extraordinary People | 2007 |
| Joined for Life: Abby and Brittany Turn 16 | 2008 |
| Abby and Brittany | 2012 |
Did Abby and Brittany Hensel get married?
Abby and Brittany Hensel's dating life is a hot topic among many people. For a long time, the conjoined twins kept details of their love life away from the media, so it was assumed they were single.
In March 2024, a picture from the Hensel twins' wedding went viral online. It was revealed that Abby Hensel married Josh Bowling, while Brittany is single.
For a long time, the conjoined twins remained hopeful that they would have their perfect love story someday. They expressed interest in dating, getting married, and even having children.
Abby and Josh Bowling got married in a low-key wedding ceremony in 2021. However, news of their nuptials did not break until March 2024.
Interestingly, Abby did not list Brittany as a witness for the marriage. Instead, the conjoined twins' other sister, Morgan Hensel, was listed as a witness, in addition to someone named Cosmo Naut.
For the wedding, the conjoined twins wore a white lace wedding gown and held a bouquet of flowers. On the other hand, Bowling wore a grey suit and an orange tie. Their flower girl donned a cream lace and taffeta dress while holding a bouquet of flowers.
The news of Abby's marriage to Josh Bowling caused extreme reactions from the public. Numerous people did not and still do not understand the intricacies of the marriage because the sisters are conjoined.
The heightened fascination around the Hensel twins' personal lives illuminated how people treat and talk about those with unusual bodies. Abby and Brittany have yet to comment directly on the ensuing discourse following the news of Abby's marriage.
Some of the reactions from the public were nice and congratulatory, while a large number were rude and insensitive. Responding to the loud comments about the marriage, the conjoined twins said:
The internet is extra LOUD today. We have always been around. We are totally different people. We usually bargain with each other like, ‘If you do this, I'll do that.' Or we take turns.
Did Abby and Brittany have a baby?
There have been rumours that the twins are moms. However, these rumours are baseless because Abby and Brittany do not have biological kids.
The twins have not ruled out the possibility of becoming mums in the future. They are hopeful that the dream of motherhood will become a reality someday.
Now that Abby is married, people have questioned whether Abby and Brittany are pregnant. The conjoined twins have not announced a pregnancy or childbirth.
Through her marriage, Abby became a stepmother to Josh Bowling's daughter, Isabella. Isabella was a guest at Abby's wedding.
Abby and Brittany Hensel's sad news: Josh's paternity case
Two years after they married, Abby Hensel’s husband was hit with a paternity suit. The paternity case was filed by Annica Bowling, against respondents Josh and Gavin Vatnsdal.
Annica and Joshua got married in 2010 and split in April 2019. They have a daughter together, Isabella, of whom they share joint custody. Isabella was born in January 2016.
Annica welcomed her second daughter in 2020. It was alleged that Annica's second daughter's paternity was being contested. Available court documents did not make it clear which child's paternity was being contested as she was a minor.
In April 2024, Abby Hensel's husband was cleared in the paternity case, which accused him of fathering Annica's daughter. Gavin Vatnsdal's lawyer admitted his client was found to be the dad from the test.
Where are Abby and Brittany Hensel today?
The conjoined twins have kept a low profile since 2015, making many people wonder where they were. Abby and Brittany resurfaced in March 2024 after Abby's wedding pictures went viral.
The famous twins took to social media, through an unverified account, to say they have always been around. They are working as elementary school teachers. Many people have looked up Abby and Brittany Hensel's Instagram account. The twins do not have a verified IG account.
How tall are the Hensel twins?
Abby is slightly taller than her twin. She is 5 ft 2 in or 157 cm tall. Brittany's height is 4 ft 10 in or 147 cm. The girls have brown hair and eyes.
Trivia
- Each twin controls one arm and one leg.
- They can eat and write separately.
- They have two completely separate spinal cords.
- The Bowling family enjoys nature hikes, ice cream, and snow tubing.
- The twins are animal lovers.
- They hate when people take pictures of them.
Abby and Brittany Hensel are elementary teachers in the United States of America. The conjoined twins gained fame in the 90s and now prefer a more private life.
Legit.ng recently published all the details about Jurnee Smollett's siblings. Jurnee Smollett is one of the big names in Hollywood. She has been in the acting world for over three decades and has over 40 acting credits.
The award-winning actress is best known for her roles in The Order, Birds of Prey, The Burial, and Lovecraft Country. She is also a civil rights and HIV/AIDS activist.
Source: Legit.ng
Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com
Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com
