You probably remember the first time you saw them. Maybe it was on Oprah back in the 90s, or perhaps you caught their TLC reality show a decade ago. It’s hard to forget the sight of two heads on one body, navigating the world with a level of coordination that honestly makes most of us look clumsy. But a lot has changed since those grainy TV clips. If you're looking up Abby and Brittany Hensel age today, you aren't just looking for a number; you're likely curious about how they've managed to build an actual adult life—marriages, careers, and all—while being the world’s most famous dicephalic parapagus twins.
The math is simple, even if their life isn't. Born on March 7, 1990, in Carver County, Minnesota, Abby and Brittany are now 35 years old.
Think about that for a second. In the world of conjoined twins, especially those who share a torso, reaching 35 is a massive medical milestone. When they were born, doctors weren't exactly handing out guarantees of a long life. Most twins with their specific anatomy—where two heads share one body and one set of legs—don't survive infancy. But the Hensel sisters didn't just survive; they kind of thrived.
The 35-Year Journey: From Reality Stars to Fifth-Grade Teachers
The sisters celebrated their 35th birthday recently, and they did it mostly out of the spotlight. They’ve spent the last decade working hard to shed the "spectacle" label and just be people. Honestly, it's impressive. After graduating from Bethel University in 2012, they moved straight into the workforce.
Right now, they are working as fifth-grade teachers at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota.
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Imagine being a ten-year-old walking into their classroom. You’ve got two teachers for the price of one, literally. One of the weirder, almost unfair details about their professional life is how they get paid. Despite having two separate degrees and two distinct teaching licenses, they reportedly receive a single salary. The logic from the school’s side is that they’re doing the job of one person. But if you ask the parents of the kids they teach, they’ll tell you it’s a bargain. Abby might be explaining a math problem while Brittany is monitoring the room or helping a student with their handwriting. It’s a tag-team effort that no single teacher could ever match.
What’s New in 2026? Marriage and "The Baby Photos"
If you've been on TikTok or Instagram lately, you've probably seen the rumors. The internet absolutely lost its mind when news broke that Abby Hensel got married.
It wasn't a "new" marriage, though. Public records eventually revealed that Abby married Josh Bowling, a nurse and U.S. Army veteran, back in November 2021. They kept it a secret for years. Can you blame them? Every time they step outside, people stare. Keeping their most intimate moment private was probably the only way to make it feel real.
Josh has a daughter from a previous marriage, which makes Abby a stepmom and Brittany... well, a step-aunt? It's a unique family dynamic, to say the least.
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Then came the "baby photos" in late 2025.
TMZ and other outlets published photos of the twins in Minnesota carrying a newborn in a car seat. The internet immediately went into a tailspin. "Is it theirs?" "Who's the mother?" "How does that even work?" Josh eventually had to step in and clear some things up. He denied that they were running certain social media accounts that were "confirming" baby news. While they haven't explicitly confirmed if the baby is theirs or perhaps a relative's, they’ve always been open about wanting to be moms one day. Given they share one reproductive system, any pregnancy would physically involve both of them, regardless of who is legally "married" to the father.
Living with One Body and Two Personalities
It’s easy to look at them and see one unit. But after 35 years, they are very much two different people.
- Abby is the right side. She’s the one who married Josh. She’s often described as the more outspoken, "math-brained" one.
- Brittany is the left side. She’s the writer, the one who handles the artsy side of their teaching.
They even have different internal temperatures. One might feel hot while the other is shivering. They have separate hearts and stomachs, but they share a liver and a bladder. Coordination is their entire life. When they drive, Abby handles the pedals and the shifter; Brittany handles the blinkers and the lights. They both steer. It’s a level of cooperation that most married couples can’t achieve after forty years, and they’ve been doing it since they were toddlers.
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Addressing the Misconceptions
One of the biggest things people get wrong about Abby and Brittany Hensel age is the assumption that their life is a constant struggle or a medical tragedy.
It’s not.
They’ve been living in their own home, driving themselves to work, and traveling the world for years. They spent their 20s traveling through Europe, and their 30s have been about building a career and a family. They aren't "stuck." They’ve simply adapted to a reality that 99.9% of the population can’t comprehend.
Another misconception is the "separation" question. People still ask why they weren't separated as babies. Their parents, Patty and Mike, made the call early on: the risk was too high. Separation would have likely resulted in the death of one or both, or at best, left them with severe disabilities. Looking at them at 35, it's hard to argue with that choice. They are healthy, active, and clearly happy with the life they’ve built together.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from the Hensel Twins
Watching the Hensel sisters reach 35 offers more than just celebrity gossip. There are some genuine takeaways from how they handle a life lived under a microscope:
- Privacy is a Choice: Just because the world wants to see your wedding or your kids doesn't mean you owe them a front-row seat. They’ve proven you can live a "normal" life in a small town even if you're world-famous.
- Adaptability Wins: They didn't wait for the world to become accessible to them. They learned how to drive, how to teach, and how to navigate a social system that wasn't built for two-in-one.
- Advocate for Your Value: While they started with a single salary, they’ve been vocal about negotiating for more as they gain experience, proving that even in unique circumstances, you have to fight for your worth.
As they move further into their 30s, the focus has shifted from "how do they walk?" to "how do they manage a household and a career?" It's a shift from medical curiosity to human interest. Whether they decide to share more about their family life or retreat further into their Minnesota community, the fact remains that at 35, Abby and Brittany Hensel are still rewriting the rulebook on what a "miracle" looks like in the modern world.