Conjoined twins respond to photos of them ‘showing off’ newborn
The famous siblings who share a body from the waist down have responded after images of them out with a baby sparked speculation.
Conjoined American twins Abby and Brittany Hensel have responded after photos emerged of them holding a baby carrier with a newborn inside.
The 35-year-olds were born with dicephalic parapagus, where two heads are attached to a single body.
Each of the women have their own brain, heart, stomach and lungs, but share the same organs below the waist as well as the same bloodstream.
They can also write, eat, run, and drive a car, both independently and in perfect sync, thanks to their co-ordinated brains and nervous systems.
Where they currently differ the most is their relationship statuses, with Brittany remaining single after her sister married US army veteran Josh Bowling in 2021.
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However, speculation is currently rife the conjoined siblings have welcomed a baby, after snaps recently emerged of them loading a newborn into the back of their car.
Social media erupted at the images, as many wondered whether the Hansel twins had given birth, welcomed a child via surrogate, or had adopted.
The huge public interest has since prompted Abby and Brittany to respond, posting a clip to TikTok that featured a number of the viral baby pictures set to the 1993 Dr Dre song ‘Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang’.
In the caption, the twins wrote, “Blessed,” followed by hashtags for their names, as well as “sisterhood” and “respect”.
But the video only left fans even more confused.
“I have so many questions,” one of the twins’ 326,500 followers said.
“OMG, we need more information here,” another person added.
While one simply asked: “How?”
Others shared messages of “congratulations”, reasoning the video was seemingly confirmation the pair had become mothers.
“Congratulations to the family! They have adapted to their situation and obviously had to plan this together,” one wrote.
“So happy for you ladies, you both deserve the best in life. This makes my heart so happy for you,” added someone else.
As one argued: “How about it is no one’s business how they decided to start a family.”
Photos featured in the video, which were obtained exclusively by the US Sun, show Abby and Brittany with the child at the school where they work as teachers in Minnesota.
The conjoined twins reportedly were seen “showing off the new addition to friends” during the excursion on August 27 after stopping by a nearby McDonald’s drive-through for a bite to eat.
After a 30-minute visit to see their colleagues, a co-worker joined the twins as they buckled the baby carrier in the car and gave them a hug goodbye, the publication stated.
While an eyewitness told the US Sun: “They looked extremely tired during the visit, but they seemed happy to see their colleagues. They struggled at times with the carrier.”
The fifth grade teachers wore a purple, white and leopard-print tank top with jean shorts paired with black sandals, with photos showing them driving the car back to their $US510,000 (almost $800,000 Australian Dollars) five-bedroom, four-bathroom home.
Despite the twins responding with the video, Abby, Brittany and Josh have not confirmed publicly if the child is theirs.
The baby speculation comes just a month after public discourse surrounding the pair’s shared salary sparked anger online.
The American sisters have previously revealed they divide up their responsibilities at work but only receive one single wage which they share between them.
“Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we’re doing the job of one person,” Abby, who controls the right side of their shared body, told the BBC previously.
“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.”
Brittany, the left-side conjoined twin, added: “One can be teaching and one can be monitoring and answering questions. So in that sense we can do more than one person.”
However, in order to qualify as teachers, the pair were considered as individuals within the school system and had to pay and pass two separate degrees at university.
While the comments about their earnings were made in 2013, they recently resurfaced in light of a very different climate almost 12 years on, the situation didn’t sit well with people.
“Abby and Brittany, the well-known conjoined twins, had to pay two separate college tuition fees but now earn only one salary at their job,” a recent post shared by a pop culture Instagram account reads.
Many were quick to flood the comments section, declaring it “doesn’t seem fair”, as others questioned whether one could claim benefits if her physical situation was prohibiting her from getting her own job.
Abby and Brittany rose to fame on a reality show that chronicled their major life events, including high school graduation and job hunting.
The duo originally appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996.
When growing up, their parents Patty and Mike encouraged them to be their own selves and they both developed very different personalities and tastes.
Abby is known as the feisty, stubborn one, while Brittany is considered the joker of the family.
Even their tastebuds are different.
Abby secretly married her husband in 2021, with her sister right by her side, the pair donning a lacy gown for the occasion.
The nuptials only emerged in 2024 after wedding documents were obtained by US media, prompting the sisters to share never-before-seen snaps online.
When the Hensel twins were born on March 7, 1990, doctors warned their parents they were unlikely to survive the night.
That prediction was to be proven wildly wrong, with the sisters inspiring people around the world every day with their positive attitude to life.
Originally published as Conjoined twins respond to photos of them ‘showing off’ newborn
