Abby Hensel’s husband Josh Bowling is setting the record straight.
After a TikTok account claiming to belong to Abby and her conjoined twin Brittany Hensel seemingly confirmed internet rumors that Abby and Josh have welcomed a baby into their lives, Josh firmly refuted any suggestion they are associated with the account—or are interested in sharing their personal lives online.
“We’re unsure who exactly runs it,” Josh said of TikTok account in a Sept. 8 statement to People. “But I believe [it’s run by] someone who [downloaded] a significant amount of photos from my mother’s [Facebook] account.”
Josh—who tied the knot with Abby in 2021—noted that neither twin has ever had a TikTok account, and that they and their family members have made their Facebook accounts private in recent years.
And the way he sees it, the photos the account uses makes it clear they are not associated, as he explained, “They [...] started using photos available to the media and everyone else. I can definitely guarantee that it’s not us.”
As for why Josh and the sisters haven’t previously addressed the TikTok account—which has been operating since 2021—he said it didn’t became “an issue” until recently.
“As of late, it has been the source of drawing significant media attention we’re not wanting,” he added. “At first, we just assumed it was someone trying to make a quick buck or something, so it wasn’t worth saying anything. After [the] media believed [it] to actually be us, I knew I had to say something.”
And while he conceded he understands there’s “extreme interest” in whether he and Abby have welcomed a newborn, Josh—who shares daughter Isabella Bowling with his ex-wife Annica Bowling—reiterated he will not comment on the matter at this time. Neither Brittany nor Abby have commented publicly on the baby rumors.
Though Abby and Brittany—who are 35—have largely stayed out of the spotlight over the years, only making the occasional rare public outing, their TLC show Abby & Brittany shares some insight into their lives.
“We have two licenses and when we got our driver’s license we each had to take the test and we both passed,” the pair explained in unison on the 2012 show, with Brittany adding, “When we drive, Abby is control of the gas and the brakes, and we both steer, and I’m in charge of the blinker.”
For more on the twins’ lives together, keep reading.
Abby and Brittany’s Surprise Arrival
Abby and Brittany were born on March 7, 1990. Their mother, Patty Hensel, shared in a 2007 documentary Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body that she only expected to deliver one baby when she gave birth based on scans. Abby and Brittany were initially born with three arms, but had one removed as it wasn’t functional.
Patty and her husband Mike Hensel were told Abby and Brittany were inseparable as babies. And while Patty explained that separation may have been possible as the girls matured, the parents chose to keep them conjoined as they were able to live a full, healthy life together.
"We never wish we were separated," Abby and Brittany both explained in the 2007 documentary. "Because then we wouldn't get to do the things we can do—play softball, meet new people, run."
A Singular Bond
In the 2007 documentary, Abby and Brittany explained that they are often able to anticipate what the other will say when curating an email or online message. In fact, they tend to refer to themselves as one person, unless they disagree. In those cases, they'll say "Abby says" or "Brittany says."
They also now share singular social media accounts, which are private and mostly inactive.
Abby and Brittany Understand the Curiosity—To a Point
Abby and Brittany have long expressed their understanding of people's curiosity toward their life. Still, they admitted to feeling frustration at the reaction they’re met with in public, especially people taking their photo without permission.
“We absolutely hate when people take pictures of us” Abby explained in 2007. “And we will throw a fit about it, and make them embarrassed.”
Additionally, while doctors were curious about their health and growing process as children, Mike and Patty Hensel did not allow any unnecessary tests be done on their daughters. Brittany and Abby also said the doctor's office was their least favorite place to go at the time.
“While they are unique, the family wants to treat them like they are just like anyone else,” the family’s doctor Joy Westerdahl explained in 2007. “I have to be mindful of the family’s wishes not to get too involved.”
Abby’s Blended Family
After marrying Josh Bowling, a nurse and veteran, Abby gained another family member—his daughter Isabella. The couple officially tied the knot on November 13, 2021. And while the news was shocking to the public, Abby and Brittany have always had starting a family on their minds.
"Yeah, we're going to be moms," Brittany said in Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16 in 2006. "We haven't thought about how being moms is going to work yet."
Their Foray Into Reality TV
Now in their thirties, Abby and Brittany have maintained their privacy since Abby & Brittany aired in 2012. The one-season reality series depicted the young women's lives as they wrapped up college and entered into adulthood.
Life Outside the Spotlight
Abby and Brittany began working as a teacher shortly after graduating college. When they were initially hired, they shared they were not in a salaried position, but were given separate contracts, and split their pay.
They currently teach fifth grade together at an elementary school in Minnesota.
“Math and science is kind of my strong point,” Abby explained on an episode of Abby & Brittany. “Where Brittany is more focused on the language arts, reading—stuff like that.”