Sometimes, talk shows and reality TV have a way of transforming everyday folks into celebrities. But such people don’t typically have nonstop media opportunities like your favorite Hollywood celebs. Because of this, it’s easy to lose track of what people who were once very famous have been up to.
That’s certainly the case with the conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel. Since their one-season reality show ended, most people haven’t kept track of their lives. All these years later, the two have found much happiness in life, and Abby has even gotten married!
What have these conjoined twins been up to, and what do we know about this surprise marriage? Keep reading to discover the answers!
How these conjoined twins became famous
Abby and Brittany Hensel have never been household names, but almost everyone in the late ’90s knew who they were. What did they do to achieve such a level of recognition? They got a boost from one of the all-time cultural tastemakers: Oprah Winfrey.
The two appeared as very young girls on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996. They were only 10 at the time, and their appearance helped the world learn more about what it means to be a conjoined twin. All these years later, though, the average person doesn’t understand just how rare their condition really is.
Just how rare are conjoined twins?
It’s fair to say that most people have never met conjoined twins in real life. That alone tells you that this is a rare condition. However, just how rare are we talking?
It turns out that only one out of every 200,000 live births produces conjoined twins. If you meet such twins, they are likely to be women because 70% of such twins are female. Sadly, though, meeting conjoined twins is rare because most are stillborn and never get the chance to grow and blossom the way the Hensel twins have. Furthermore, the parents of the conjoined twins who survive may decide to try to surgically separate the twins, but Abby and Brittany’s parents decided against this because it’s too risky.
Starring in a breakout reality TV show
After that appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, there were other media appearances that kept Abby and Brittany Hensel on the pop culture radar. For example, they appeared in the 2003 documentary Joined for Life,” where we got to hear a bit more from their mother, Patty Hensel. However, what the average person mostly remembers the twins for these days is their briefly-lived reality TV show.
The two starred in the TLC show Abby and Brittany. True to its name, this show was all about the improbable adventures of its title stars. Audiences saw them driving cars and a moped and enjoying some European adventures. The show ended right as the two earned their degrees in education, leaving many fans to wonder just what kind of lives the twins would build for themselves outside of the public eye.
Enjoying a career in education
Given how prejudiced the world can be, some fans of these conjoined twins wondered whether the conjoined twins would be able to put their degrees to work. Fortunately, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes,” and the two who studied education for so many years are both teachers.
Currently, both Abby and Brittany Hensel are elementary school teachers. They have settled down in Minnesota and are both teaching fifth grade. Of course, these two would tell you that all of that is old news. What is really taking the world by surprise right now is the fact that Abby is now married!
Tying the knot
Abby Hensel is now married to Josh Bowling, a nurse who is also a veteran of the United States Army. They actually tied the knot back in 2021 and seem like a good match for each other. She’s a teacher and he’s both a nurse and a veteran, so it’s clear that both of them are very focused on giving back to society.
Along with Brittany, these two have built a family for one another. But what does this family like to do to unwind? Based on pictures they have shared on social media, they enjoy hiking, snow tubing, and eating ice cream.
Will this unconventional family be growing sometime soon?
By now, Abby Hensel and Josh Bowling have been married for three years. Because of this, many can’t help but ask the next obvious question: will these two be having one or more children together?
Back in that 2003 documentary, the twins’ mother revealed that, biologically, nothing keeps these twins from having children. At the time, Abby’s sister Brittany was adamant that they would become a mother someday. Now, nearly two decades later, these famous conjoined twins are closer than ever to making this longstanding dream into a reality.