Abby and Brittany Hensel rose to fame on 'Joined For Life'. This is their life now.

If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.

Abby and Brittany Hensel's lives as conjoined twins have long been documented.

The now 35-year-olds became household names on their 2012 TLC show Abby & Brittany. By then, they'd already appeared on Oprah as young kids, Joined for Life as teenagers and were pretty recognisable for those (like me), who grew up following their story.

In recent years, they've remained pretty under the radar, but they've celebrated song big life milestones.

Before we get to that, let's take a look back at their lives.

Loved since birth.

Abby and Brittany were born in 1990 to parents Patty and Mike Hensel in a small farming town in Minnesota.

Their parents didn't even know they were having twins until Patty was giving birth, but despite the initial surprise, the couple were unfazed by the challenges ahead; they were instantly in love with their little girls.

Brittany and Abby are dicephalic parapagus twins, a very rare condition which gives them the appearance of having two heads on one body. They each have their own heart, stomach, spine and lungs but share a bladder a bloodstream and genitals. They control one leg and one arm each.

Their parents were given the option of separating them, but death or severe disability in one or both of the girls was a potential side effect and so surgery was off the table.

Survival with their condition is considered rare, but the Hensels haven't just survived, they've had perfectly normal, ordinary lives.

Appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show aged six, the twins demonstrated how they can do things independently with one arm, but then have to work together to use both arms or legs as one. Each has no sensation of the other's side of the body, so it all comes down to teamwork.

Watch Abby and Brittany on Oprah. Post continues.

"We flip a coin!" they told Oprah, when asked how they decide what they're going to do or where they're going to walk in any given moment.

Growing up on TV.

The Hensels have practically grown up on TV.

Their first documentary Joined for Life followed them aged 13 and then again aged 16.

In 2007 they appeared on Extraordinary People before starring in their own reality series with TLC, titled Abby & Brittany, in 2012. The show followed them as they prepared to graduate from college and travel to Europe.

The girls decided to do the various shows because they were sick of people taking pictures of them and staring.

"We don't like it when they take pictures, so we wanted people to know who we are," Abby said.

Abby and Brittany Hensel as teenagers. Image: TLC.

While they have shared their story in various documentaries, after Oprah the twins have steered clear of more interview-style set-ups, preferring to tell their story, their way.

On screen, they shared things like their arguments over what clothes they were going to wear (they tended to take it in turns to keep the peace), the fact they had to take one driver's licence test each (using the same limbs), and just ordinary days in their lives. This includes school, work, road trips and family life with their two younger siblings.

More than anything, the various documentaries allowed them to put their different personalities on show.

While Abby loved math at school, her sister preferred English. Where one loved pink, the other preferred purple. Abby is more outgoing and assertive while Brittany is more reserved.

At college, the twins studied education. They wanted to pursue different concentrations within that major, but the volume of extra coursework was prohibitive. So they graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in 2012.

We saw the twins prepare to take their first job outside of college as teachers, excitedly preparing their room for the kids and then poof, they disappeared from our screens.

Brittany and Abby as young student teachers. Image: TLC.

With their show not renewed for another season, and the family opting out of media interviews, they've remained out of the public eye for the most part of a decade.

A career path.

In adulthood, the twins have continued their careers as primary school teachers and currently teach the fifth grade in their home state of Minnesota.

In August 2025, it was revealed that despite each holding their own degree, Abby and Brittany are paid a single salary to share at the school they teach, despite being legally considered individuals.

"Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're doing the job of one person," Abby told the BBC in 2013.

"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."

The comments have recently resurfaced, given the 12 years since then, and the public aren't happy. Especially as they each needed their own degree to be considered by the school system to work as teachers.

"They are twins, two individuals. Doing this implies they're each only half a person, it's inexcusable," one user commented.

Another added, "Makes zero sense."

A new chapter: Marriage and parenthood.

Abby and Brittany largely lived their lives out of the spotlight, with key milestones kept quiet.

In fact, Abby got married back in 2021, but didn't tell the world until early 2024.

She married her partner, army veteran Josh Bowling in a small ceremony attended by close friends and family.

A video of their first dance later went viral on social media. In the clip, both Abby and Brittany had a hand around Josh as they slow danced in a room filled with fairy lights.

@abbyandbrittanyhensel

♬ original sound - abbyandbrittanyhensel

They later also posted photos in their bridal gown, posing with Josh's daughter from a previous marriage.

Before marrying Abby, Bowling was married to Annica Bowling from 2010 to 2019, during which time they welcomed daughter Isabella.

Fans of the twin's shows will know parenthood has long been a dream for both women.

@abbyandbrittanyhensel #forever ♬ But Daddy I Love Him - European Swiftie 🇪🇺

Growing up, both Abby and Brittany were very open about their desire to become mothers, with Abby telling Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16, "Yeah, we’re going to be moms. We haven’t thought about how being moms is going to work yet."

In August 2025, Abby and Brittany were spotted in Minnesota putting a newborn in a carseat, but neither of them have spoken about the child's identity.

For now, it seems the twins are happy to retreat from the spotlight, and live their live with their jobs and family in peace.

Of course, over the years they've had a lot of intrusive questions thrown at them, and a few times they've fairly clapped back.

After Abby's marriage, they put out a video responding to the inundation of comments.

"This is a message to all the haters out there. If you don't like what I do, but you watch everything I'm doing, you're still a fan," a male voiceover says over some pictures of Abby, Brittany and Josh.

In another video, they share the caption "The internet is extra LOUD today. We have always been around," alongside a series of photos of ceramics and historic pictures of other conjoined figures.

Feature image: Facebook.

Are you a parent or influencer of kids aged under 18 years? Take our survey for your chance to win one of four $50 gift vouchers!

TAKE SURVEY ➤