They’ve been in the public eye since they were six years old, ever since they sat on Oprah Winfrey’s yellow couch in 1996 and charmed the entire world. But when the news broke that conjoined twins marry—or specifically, that one of the most famous pairs in medical history had tied the knot—the internet basically lost its mind. People had questions. A lot of them. Some were respectful, some were nosy, and some were just flat-out confused about how the logistics of a marriage like this even work.
Abby and Brittany Hensel are dicephalic parapagus twins. That’s the medical term for having two heads on a single torso. It’s incredibly rare. Most infants born with this condition don’t survive the first 24 hours. Yet, here they are, in their 30s, navigating a life that most of us can’t even begin to wrap our heads around.
The big reveal happened in early 2024, though it turns out the wedding actually took place back in 2021. Abby Hensel, who occupies the right side, married Josh Bowling, a nurse and United States Army veteran.
Why the Abby and Brittany Marriage Broke the Internet
It wasn't just the fact of the wedding itself that sparked the firestorm. It was the privacy. For years, the twins had moved away from the reality TV cameras of their TLC youth. They became fifth-grade teachers. They lived a quiet, suburban life in Minnesota. When the TikTok videos and Facebook photos of the wedding finally surfaced, it felt like a jolt.
We live in a world where we think we're entitled to every detail of a public figure's life. Honestly, the Hensels haven't really played by those rules lately. They didn't sell the wedding photos to a tabloid. They didn't do a "Marriage Special" on cable. They just... lived.
Josh Bowling, the groom, was a father and a veteran. He seemed, by all accounts, like a normal guy from the same region. But the comments sections were brutal. People debated the legalities. They debated the ethics. They wondered about Brittany’s role in the relationship.
The Reality of Life as Conjoined Twins Who Marry
Let’s get into the weeds of how they actually function, because that’s what everyone is Googling anyway. Abby and Brittany share a bloodstream and all organs from the waist down. Abby controls the right arm and leg; Brittany controls the left. They have two hearts, two sets of lungs, and two stomachs.
When you hear that conjoined twins marry, your brain probably goes straight to the physical. But think about the coordination. They’ve spent their whole lives coordinating every step. They drive a car. They play volleyball. They type. Marriage is just another layer of that lifelong compromise.
👉 See also: How Old Is Pauly D? The Surprising Reality of the Jersey Shore Icon in 2026
Growing up, they always said they hoped to have children one day. While the medical community notes that the reproductive organs are shared, the twins are two distinct legal and emotional people. This creates a fascinating, if complex, legal landscape. In the eyes of the law in Minnesota, the marriage certificate lists Abby and Josh. But Brittany is right there. She’s always right there.
It’s not the first time this has happened in history, though it's the most high-profile case in decades. You might remember Chang and Eng Bunker, the original "Siamese Twins" from the 19th century. They married sisters. They had 21 children between them. They lived in separate houses and spent three days at one house before moving to the other.
The Hensels don’t have that luxury of space. Theirs is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year partnership that now includes a third person.
Legal Hurdles and Paternity Tests
Not long after the marriage went public, news broke about a paternity suit involving Josh Bowling. This had nothing to do with the twins. It was related to his previous marriage. But the timing was a gift for the tabloids. It added a layer of "messiness" that the internet loves to devour.
But beyond the gossip, the legal questions are real.
If a pair of conjoined twins marry, what does that mean for taxes? For medical consent? For inheritance? Generally, the law treats them as two individuals. They have two Social Security numbers. They had to take two separate driving tests (yes, they both had to pass). However, for the marriage itself, it is a union between two individuals: Abby and Josh.
The logistics of their teaching career are just as interesting. They share a single paycheck. Their reasoning? They are doing the work of one person in the classroom. One might be teaching math while the other monitors the students or grades papers. It’s a "two for the price of one" deal for the school district, but for the twins, it's just their normal.
✨ Don't miss: How Old Is Daniel LaBelle? The Real Story Behind the Viral Sprints
The Science of "Shared" Experiences
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about whether they feel what the other feels. It’s nuanced. They have separate sensations on their respective sides of the body. If you poke Abby’s arm, Brittany doesn’t feel it. But they share a lot of internal signals. Hunger, the urge to sleep, the feeling of a cold coming on—those are often shared because they share a circulatory system and various organs.
Imagine trying to date with a permanent "third wheel" who is literally attached to you. They've been incredibly protective of their dating life. In their 2012 TLC series, they explicitly asked for privacy regarding their romantic endeavors. They knew the world would be weird about it.
They were right.
The vitriol directed at Josh Bowling after the wedding news was intense. People called him names. They questioned his motives. But if you look at the footage from the wedding—the way they dance, the way they look at each other—it's clear there's a deep bond there. It’s a human story, even if the anatomy is different from what we're used to seeing.
What This Means for Disability Visibility
The Hensel twins' marriage is a massive moment for the disability community. Often, people with significant physical differences are desexualized. Society tends to view them as perpetual children or as "inspirations" who shouldn't have adult desires or complex relationships.
By choosing to marry, Abby challenged that narrative. She asserted her right to a romantic life, a home, and a husband.
- Autonomy: They’ve proven they can make adult decisions despite their unique physical constraints.
- Privacy: They’ve set boundaries, showing that being born "different" doesn't mean you owe the public a front-row seat to your bedroom.
- Resilience: They’ve outlived every medical projection from their birth.
Common Misconceptions About Conjoined Marriages
People often think there’s some special law for this. There isn't. They follow the same marriage license requirements as anyone else in the state of Minnesota.
🔗 Read more: Harry Enten Net Worth: What the CNN Data Whiz Actually Earns
Another myth is that they are "one person" legally. They aren't. If they were to commit a crime, the legal system would have a nervous breakdown trying to figure out how to jail one without the other, but in civil matters like marriage, they are treated as two distinct people.
Wait, what about the "other" twin? Does Brittany get a vote? In their life, they've always had to agree on everything. What to eat, what to wear, where to go. It stands to reason that a marriage wouldn't happen unless both were on board with the dynamic. It’s the ultimate exercise in compromise.
The Path Forward for the Hensels
Life for Abby, Brittany, and Josh isn't going to be a quiet one, no matter how much they want it to be. They are currently teaching in their home state, focusing on their students and their community. They’ve mostly retreated back into their private lives after the initial 2024 media explosion.
There’s a lesson here for everyone else.
We tend to gawk. We tend to judge what we don't understand. But at the end of the day, this is just a family. It’s a different-looking family, sure. But it’s a family trying to navigate mortgage payments, career stress, and what to have for dinner.
Actionable Insights for Following the Story Respectfully
If you're interested in the lives of the Hensel twins or similar stories of conjoined twins navigating adulthood, here is how to engage without being a "sideshow" spectator:
- Prioritize Primary Sources: Look at their own verified social media or past documentaries (like the TLC series) rather than speculative TikTok "theory" videos.
- Understand the Terminology: Use terms like "dicephalic parapagus" to understand the specific medical reality, which is different from other types of conjoined twins.
- Respect the Boundary: Acknowledge that while they are public figures, they are not currently filming a reality show. Their choice to stay private is a valid one.
- Check the Date: Much of the "news" circulating about them is actually years old. For example, the wedding was in 2021, even though the internet found out in 2024. Always check the filing dates on public records if you're looking for the truth.
The story of the Hensels reminds us that the human spirit is incredibly adaptable. They weren't supposed to live a day. Now, one of them is a wife, both are teachers, and they continue to defy every box the world tries to put them in. It's not a circus; it's a life.
When we talk about the fact that conjoined twins marry, we should probably spend less time wondering "how" and more time appreciating the fact that they found a way to make it work in a world that wasn't built for them.