NZ Herald

2 Apr, 2024 10:11 PM3 mins to read

Abby and Brittany Hensel have broken their silence after the conjoined twins went viral this week following the news Abby married Josh Bowling in 2021. Photo / Facebook

Conjoined twins - Figure 1
Photo New Zealand Herald

The husband of conjoined twin Abby Hensel has been named in a paternity suit filed after the pair were married.

Joshua Bowling married Hensel in November 2021 but only announced the nuptials last week.

Photos of the groom and bride and the bride’s twin sister, Brittany, took the internet by storm when they were released.

The sisters won fame on the TLC reality TV show Abby & Brittany, which documented their major life events, such as graduating from high school and looking for jobs.

The New York Post reports that army veteran Bowling is the subject of a paternity claim by ex-wife Annica Bowling alongside another man, Gavin Vatnsdal.

Minnesota court records reportedly show a “genetic test report” was entered on to the file last month - but the details and results have not been made public.

Bowling and his ex-wife - who married in 2010 - have one daughter together, Isabella, and share joint custody.

The Post cites the documents stating she is their only “joint” child born during the marriage.

They split in April 2019 and Annica gave birth to a little girl in late 2020.

The girl was referred to as Isabella’s “half-sister” during the couple’s 2020 divorce and the Post reports it appears possible this she is the child whose paternity is now being contested, but her status as a minor means she is not named in court documents.

Conjoined twins - Figure 2
Photo New Zealand Herald
‘You’re still a fan’

Abby and Brittany Hensel responded after the conjoined twins went viral this week following news one of them got married.

“The internet is extra loud today,” the Hensels, 34, shared on their joint TikTok account.

It was revealed that Abby, the twin on the left side, had wed nurse and army veteran Josh Bowling, 33, three years ago, and pictures from the nuptials went viral.

In response, the conjoined twins posted pictures of ancient sculptures of conjoined twins, saying: “We have always been around”, as well as another TikTok showing a picture with Bowling, captioned: “This is a message to all the haters out there.

“If you don’t like what I do, but watch everything I’m doing, you’re still a fan.”

The sisters were born as dicephalous conjoined twins, a rare condition when two heads are on a single body with one genital system, two, three or four arms, two hearts and two legs.

The couple revealed photos of their wedding celebration in 2023. Photo / Facebook

The Hensel twins share a bloodstream as well as all organs below the waist. Abby has control over their right arm and leg and Brittany has control over the left side.

Abby and her husband kept news of their marriage away from the public until 2023, when they shared pictures on social media of their wedding ceremony. Only now have the snapshots gone viral.

One of the wedding guests shared a clip that showed a sweet moment between the newlyweds on their big day on Facebook. In the video, posted on Heidi Bowling’s account, Bowling and Abby are seen dancing and kissing at the wedding.

Abby and her sister donned a white sleeveless gown with a laced-up back, while Bowling scrubbed up nicely in a grey suit.

Bowling can be seen staring into his wife’s eyes while Brittany supports her twin during the dance.

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