What Life Is Like For Abby And Brittany Hensel Today

Conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel became public figures when they were still kids. A biological rarity, the pair are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning they share one body, but have two separate heads, spines and torsos. They have appeared on popular talk shows, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and even had their own reality series called "Abby and Brittany."

The once-popular TLC show starring the Hensel sisters premiered in 2012. This might be one of the TLC shows some people didn't know existed because it was only around for one season. After their eight-episode series drew to a close, the twins stepped out of the spotlight and went on to live relatively quiet lives, though not quiet enough for fans to stop wondering where they are. While they've mostly stayed under the radar, in 2024 they made headlines once again when news broke that one of the twins had gotten married. Here's what else the Hensel sisters have been up to in recent years.

Born March 7, 1990, in New Germany, Minnesota, Abby and Brittany Hensel are among the few dicephalic parapagus twins to survive infancy, as studies show such twins are typically stillborn or die shortly after birth. The pair have separate hearts, stomachs, and spines, but share one torso. They have separate heads and necks, but share one ribcage, bladder, and set of reproductive organs.

Throughout the duration of the pregnancy, their mother, Patty Hensel, didn't realize she was carrying twins. The ultrasound only showed one fetus, and up until she gave birth, she was under the impression that she was going to have one baby. Nonetheless, there were two babies, and given their condition, she and her husband, Mike Hensel, decided not to separate the twins because it was unlikely they would survive the operation. "If they were separated, they would pretty much cut them right down the middle," Patty told Time in 1996. "You can see that."

Abby and Brittany Hensel grew together, learning how to crawl, talk, walk, eat, and play in sync. From childhood, they matured into normal teenagers and attended Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota. They played sports such as softball and basketball, and earned separate driver's licenses at the age of 16. Next, they attended Bethel University and graduated with degrees in education. In 2025, they celebrated their 35th birthday. They are reportedly the longest-living dicephalic parapagus twins on record.

After their stint on TLC, Abby and Brittany Hensel continued to pursue one of the most rewarding professions in the world: teaching. As of this writing, they reside in their home state of Minnesota where they work as 5th grade teachers. They were hired shortly after graduating from college and each have a separate employment contract, while splitting their pay in the middle. As Abby told the BBC back in 2013, "Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're doing the job of one person. ... As maybe experience comes in we'd like to negotiate a little bit, considering we have two degrees and because we are able to give two different perspectives or teach in two different ways." In the same interview, Brittany added, "One can be teaching and one can be monitoring and answering questions. So in that sense we can do more than one person."

The career choice came as no surprise. On their scandal-free TLC reality show "Abby and Brittany," the twins worked as student teachers before graduating from college. They made a strong impression on their supervisor and the school's principal, both of whom noted that the twins had a promising future in the profession and the potential to positively impact student's lives. "There's no question in my mind that they will really change the world for the better and influence lives in ways that, those like myself, will never be able to do," said Mr. Moberg, the principal of the school where the twins worked. 

In 2024, it was reported that Abby Hensel got married. This update sent shockwaves through online circles that had been wondering what she and her sister had been up to since they bid farewell to the TLC cameras. It also sparked chatter about what Abby and her husband's dynamic with Brittany Hensel might look like.

Abby is married to Josh Bowling, a U.S Army veteran and nurse. Oh, but this wasn't the only detail that caught fans by surprise: Public records show that Abby and Josh actually tied the knot all the way back in November 2021.

This is Josh's second marriage, as he was previously married and is the father to a 9-year-old daughter, Isabella, who was present at her father's wedding to Abby, as seen in a now deleted Facebook post by Josh. This makes Abby a stepmother and Brittany a step-aunt. The blended family has given no outright public comment on their new life, but Bowling reportedly shares custody of his daughter with his ex-wife, Annica Bowling. As of this writing, Brittany appears to be single.

In August 2025, TMZ, spotted the Hensel sisters placing a car seat with a baby in it into the back of a black Tesla. This prompted some netizens to speculate about whether or not Abby Hensel and Josh Bowling had become parents to a new bundle of joy. The tongue-wagging went further after a TikTok account that was long believed to be run by the Hensel sisters (more on that in a moment) reposted the paparazzi photos with the caption "Blessed." This action prompted followers to assume the couple had welcomed a new baby into their family.

However, Abby and Bowling have neither confirmed nor denied that they are parents to a newborn. In a September 2025 interview with People, Bowling noted that despite "the extreme interest" in their family due to the fame of Abby and Brittany Hensel, he would not speak on whether or not they had a new baby. While he may not know what it's like to be on a TLC show, Bowling sure got a peek at the attention that comes with being a reality star.

In October 2023, Abby Hensel's husband, Josh Bowling, was hit with a paternity lawsuit. The suit was filed by his ex-wife, Annica Bowling, concerning her youngest daughter, who was born in 2020. According to People, the lawsuit was filed in Minnesota, two years after Josh married Abby, naming him as a potential father along with another man named Gavin Vatnsdal. Josh and Annica were married for nine years before finalizing their divorce in 2020. As previously noted, Josh and Annica share a daughter named Isabella, who was born in 2016.

In March 2024, a genetic test determined that Josh was not the father of the child born in 2020. Rather, the test identified Vatnsdal as the biological father. According to the New York Post, which reported details from the hearing, Vatnsdal's attorney, Gregory Seamon, told the court, "It's not Mr. Bowling's child. It's my client's child." Josh was subsequently removed from the birth certificate of the then 3-year-old by the presiding judge, and was relieved of all future parental responsibilities related to the child.

It has long been believed that Abby and Brittany Hensel have a public social media account on TikTok. With over 331,000 followers and 2.4 million likes, the account, @abbyandbrittanyhensel, has been a rabbit hole into the twins' private life. Most posts show the pair smiling and living life on their own terms. Abby's husband, Josh Bowling, even appears in some videos. 

The account also highlights milestone moments in the twins' lives, like their birth, their teenage years, their appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and Abby's wedding. The account also uploaded a video explaining their unique anatomy, most likely to quell the constant invasive questions from curious fans and followers.

However, in the aforementioned interview with People, Bowling stated that the TikTok account is not actually associated with the Hensel sisters. "We're unsure who exactly runs it," he said. "But I believe [it's run by] someone who [downloaded] a significant amount of photos from my mother's [Facebook] account." He also noted that the sisters don't have TikTok and only use private Facebook accounts. It seems the former TLC stars indeed prefer living their life away from the public's prying eyes.