Bette and Dot Tattler, more commonly known as the Tattler Twins, are conjoined twins who appeared as characters on the TV series American Horror Story: Freak Show. While the characters are fictional, they were inspired by several real-life conjoined twins from history. In this article, we’ll explore whether there were any true stories that inspired Bette and Dot, and look at some of the amazing real conjoined twins throughout history.
The Tattler Twins on American Horror Story
On American Horror Story: Freak Show, Bette and Dot are conjoined twins who share one body but have separate heads, necks, spines, and arms. While physically connected, the two have very distinct personalities – Bette is innocent and romantic while Dot is bold and manipulative. They are able to coordinate with each other to walk, do chores, and even type. The twins perform together in the freak show run by Elsa Mars in Jupiter, Florida in the 1950s.
Throughout the season, their differing personalities and desires create tension and conflict between them. Bette wants romance and Dot wants fame. After committing several murders at Dot’s bidding, Bette begins to push back against her dominant sister. The story culminates with the twins undergoing a dangerous separation surgery against Elsa’s wishes. The surgery appears successful at first, but in the final episode we learn that only one twin survived – Dot.
Historical Inspiration
While fictional, Bette and Dot do seem to take inspiration from several real-life historical conjoined twins:
- Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–1874) – Thai-American twins connected at the torso. They toured with PT Barnum’s circus before eventually settling down, marrying two sisters, having 21 children combined, and owning slaves.
- Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci (1877–1912) – Italian twins connected at the torso who toured Europe. As young boys they were studied extensively by doctors and researchers. Giovanni was quiet while Giacomo was social.
- Daisy and Violet Hilton (1908–1969) – English twins connected at the hip who performed in vaudeville and sideshows. They sang, danced, and played instruments. Violet was extroverted and Daisy more introverted.
- Ronnie and Donnie Galyon (1951–2020) – American twins connected at the torso who made TV appearances but lived mostly private lives in Ohio. Donnie was dominant and outgoing while Ronnie was quiet.
Like many of these historical twins, Bette and Dot have distinct personalities despite their physical connection. Their differing desires and agency create tension and conflict between them. And the twins’ ultimately undergoing separation surgery, though fictionalized, was likely inspired by persistent but usually fatal historical attempts to separate conjoined twins.
Other Famous Conjoined Twins
While the Tattler twins take inspiration from the above cases, there have been many other remarkable real-life conjoined twins throughout history:
Abigail and Brittany Hensel
Abigail and Brittany Hensel are American conjoined twins born in 1990. They are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning they have separate heads but share one torso. They each control one arm and one leg. Growing up, they learned to coordinate with each other to walk, run, swim, and bike. As adults they both passed their driver’s license exams and are able to drive together. They graduated from college, became teachers, and have travelled the world.
Ladan and Laleh Bijani
Ladan and Laleh Bijani were Iranian law graduates connected at the head, known as craniopagus twins. They both spoke several languages, earned law degrees, and travelled the world campaigning for the right to be surgically separated. After extensive preparations, they underwent a 50+ hour separation surgery in 2003. Tragically, they both died shortly after from blood loss.
Rosie and Ruby Formosa
Rosie and Ruby Formosa are craniopagus twins from Australia born in 2001. They made headlines around the world when they were successfully surgically separated at just 10 months old in 2002, a complex and rare procedure for craniopagus twins. They later underwent reconstructive surgeries. Now over 20 years old, the twins lead relatively normal lives and stay out of the spotlight.
Rarest Types of Conjoined Twins
While conjoined twins are rare, occurring only once in every 200,000 live births, there are different possible types depending on where the twins are attached:
| Type | % of Cases | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Thoracopagus | 40% | Connected at chest |
| Omphalopagus | 33% | Connected at abdomen |
| Parapagus (dicephalus or diprosopus) | 20% | One torso with two heads or faces |
| Craniopagus | 6% | Connected at head |
| Pygopagus | 6% | Connected at rump |
| Ischiopagus | 6% | Connected at hip |
The rarest type at just 2-6% of cases is craniopagus twins, connected at the head like Ladan and Laleh Bijani. Parapagus twins like Bette and Dot make up about 20% of cases.
Unique Challenges of Conjoined Twins
Conjoined twins face unique challenges rarely confronted by singular people:
- Physical coordination – They must coordinate with each other to walk, get dressed, eat, and perform other daily tasks.
- Different personalities – They often develop distinct likes, dislikes, interests, and personalities that may conflict.
- Balancing desires – Each twin may want different things out of life like privacy, relationships, or careers.
- Health issues – There are greater health risks and complications like twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.
- Public scrutiny – They often face stigma, questions, and unwanted attention in public.
Despite these difficulties, many conjoined twins go on to lead relatively normal, full lives. Advancements in surgical procedures have also allowed some twins to be successfully separated if desired.
Famous Conjoined Twins in History
There have been many remarkable conjoined twins throughout history who defied the odds:
Chang and Eng Bunker (1811-1874)
Chang and Eng Bunker were born in Thailand in 1811. They were brought to America in 1829 and toured for years in circus sideshows as the “Siamese Twins.” Eventually they settled down as farmers, married two sisters, and between them had 21 children. They remained connected their entire lives.
Millie and Christine McCoy (1851-1912)
Millie and Christine McCoy were conjoined twins born into slavery in North Carolina in 1851. They were sold to a showman and toured the US and Europe as singers, dancers, and musicians. After the Civil War they continued touring and became wealthy celebrities before retiring. They were connected at the torso.
Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci (1877-1912)
Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci were conjoined twins born in Italy in 1877. As young boys they were studied extensively by doctors who were fascinated by their anatomy. Giacomo was outgoing and social while Giovanni was more withdrawn. They toured Europe as a circus act before retiring quietly back home.
Violet and Daisy Hilton (1908-1969)
Violet and Daisy Hilton were conjoined twins who performed in vaudeville, circus sideshows, and movies in the 1920s and 1930s. They were incredibly successful for a period, with international tours, high earnings, and celebrity friends. Scandals, misfortune, and declining public interest later led to them living in poverty before dying in 1969.
Unique Physiology of Conjoined Twins
Conjoined twins have fascinated doctors and researchers for centuries. Their unusual anatomies reveal insights into human physiology and development. Some unique factors of their physiology include:
- They often share organ systems like circulatory, digestive, or reproductive.
- They may mirror each other as “mirror image” twins.
- Their nervous systems can be intertwined allowing shared sensations.
- Hormones like growth factor may be shared causing asymmetry.
- Their embryological development begins splitting but stops prematurely.
Ongoing study of conjoined twins provides insight into fetal development, anatomy, neurology, psychology and other fields of medicine and science.
Surgical Separation Procedures and Ethics
Separating conjoined twins through surgery is extremely complex, risky, and rare. There are significant ethical concerns around surgical separation including:
- High mortality rates if surgery goes wrong.
- Possibility of severe disabilities after separation.
- Difficulty in obtaining true informed consent from young patients.
- Debate over quality of life if twins remain conjoined.
Factors supporting separation include potential medical problems if twins remain connected and desire of twins to lead independent lives. Close medical consultation and ethics review is required before procedures. Surgical advancements in recent decades have improved separation outcomes and survival rates.
Successful Separations
Some landmark surgical separations include:
- Patrick and Benjamin Binder in 1987, connected at abdomen and spine
- Angela and Amy Lakeberg in 1993, connected at abdomen and chest
- Lori and Reba Schappell in 1996, connected at head and spine
- Grayson and Ethan Clark in 2006, connected at abdomen
- Jadon and Anias McDonald in 2016, connected at head
These rare surgeries took multiple operations over many years. While success rates have improved, surgical separation is still extremely difficult and potentially fatal.
Conjoined Twins in the Media and Pop Culture
Conjoined twins have been the subject of fascination, mockery, and exploitation throughout history. Some portrayals in media and pop culture include:
- Carnival and circus “freak shows” displaying twins as oddities in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- The 1932 film Freaks featuring famous conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton.
- Stories and tabloid headlines sensationalizing twins as strange and abnormal.
- Television documentaries like Joined for Life (2003) showing their lives.
- Reality TV shows capitalizing on their stories for entertainment and viewers.
Many argue these insensitive portrayals perpetuate exploitation and false assumptions. In recent decades, greater efforts have been made to treat twins with respect and understand their humanity and struggles.
Conjoined Twins Today
While quite rare, conjoined twins are still being born today. Advancements in medicine now allow for earlier detection during pregnancy through ultrasound and other screening tests:
- 1 in 250,000 pregnancies start as conjoined but only 1 in 1 million survive birth.
- About 75% of conjoined twins are female, 25% male.
- 3 out of 4 are stillborn or die soon after birth.
- 1 in 3 conjoined pairs are attached at the chest and share organs.
Modern surgical techniques have improved separation success rates and outcomes. But many twins still face health complications and public stigma. Most advocate for greater understanding, privacy, and opportunity to live normal lives.
The Future for Conjoined Twins
Looking ahead, several key factors may shape the future lives of conjoined twins:
- Improved medical care and surgical procedures allowing higher quality of life.
- Greater public understanding and acceptance of their condition.
- Increased agency and self-determination to make their own decisions.
- More opportunities to pursue fulfilling careers and relationships of their choosing.
- Privacy from unwanted public attention and media exploitation.
Hopefully the future will bring greater dignity, respect, opportunity, and normalcy for these rare and captivating individuals.
Conclusion
While Bette and Dot Tattler are fictional characters, they take inspiration from many real historic conjoined twins. From Chang and Eng Bunker to Rosie and Ruby Formosa, conjoined twins have faced immense challenges but also demonstrated incredible resilience. Their lives reveal insights into the human body and mind in their unique connected states. While still quite rare today, surgical advancements and greater understanding continue to shape the future and opportunities available to conjoined twins. Their lives encourage us to look beyond superficial differences to the profound humanity that connects us all.