The Strange Story of June and Jennifer Gibbons, the 'Silent Twins' Who Only Talk to Each Other

The "silent twins" June and Jennifer Gibbons have spoken only to each other, using their own special language and mirroring each other's behavior for three decades straight.

In April 1963, in a military hospital in Aden, Yemen, twin girls June and Jennifer Gibbons were born. Initially, their appearance was normal, but in the years that followed, the twins' strange behavior attracted the attention of not only their family but also psychologists. Their story, known as the 'silent twins' , is one of tragedy and mystery.

Twin girls June and Jennifer Gibbons as infants.

June and Jennifer's Different Childhoods and Their Own World

Growing up in Wales in a family of immigrants from Barbados, June and Jennifer quickly showed signs of being different from other children. From a young age, they developed their own language , believed to be an accelerated variant of Barbadian Creole, that no one else could understand. They barely communicated with outsiders, including their parents, and were completely dependent on each other.

The twins' isolation became more apparent when they entered elementary school. As the only black children in the school, they became targets of bullying, which caused them to withdraw into their own worlds. They even mimicked each other's actions, refused to communicate verbally, and were emotionally withdrawn.

These traits worried their parents, Gloria and Aubrey Gibbons. "They seemed to talk to each other at home, making strange noises, but not like normal children ," their father recalled.

The "Silent Twins" June and Jennifer Gibbons in elementary school.

Strange behavior attracts attention of experts

In 1974, Dr. John Rees discovered June and Jennifer's unusual behavior during a school health check. He described them as living dolls, with completely different behaviors. Rees sought help from psychologists, but therapy efforts were unsuccessful. The twins remained silent and refused all outside contact.

A daring experiment was conducted in 1977 when experts decided to separate them and send them to two different boarding schools. However, instead of encouraging their individual development, the experiment failed miserably. Both fell into a state of near-immobility, refusing to eat or communicate. When reunited, they became even more closely bonded, completely withdrawing from the outside world.

Dark fantasies and life on the margins

During their years of isolation, June and Jennifer found solace in writing stories. Their stories often involved young characters committing gruesome crimes. One of them, ' The Pepsi-Cola Addict ,' about a teenager who is seduced by his teacher, was self-published. However, these works were not enough to fill their loneliness.

At age 18, the twins began experimenting with drugs, alcohol and crime. This escalated into arson, which led to their arrest in 1981. A court ordered them to be committed to the high-security Broadmoor psychiatric hospital, where they endured 12 years of harsh confinement.

During their years of isolation, June and Jennifer found solace in writing stories. 

The Mysterious Death of Jennifer Gibbons

In 1993, after several years at Broadmoor, doctors decided to transfer the twins to a lower-security facility. However, during the trip, Jennifer suddenly collapsed and died of sudden heart failure at the age of 29.

Jennifer's death was a turning point. Soon after, June began talking to people as if she had never been silent . "I felt liberated ," June shared in a later interview. She was released from the hospital shortly afterward and began a normal life, something that had previously seemed impossible.

The mysteries surrounding the story of the 'silent twins'

The story of June and Jennifer Gibbons is not only a strange psychological phenomenon , but also a lesson in isolation, sisterhood, and the line between attachment and control. Journalist Marjorie Wallace, who studied and wrote a book about them, described the twins' story as "a unique tragedy."

The story of June and Jennifer Gibbons remains a mystery to many experts. 

Wallace spent years studying their lives through diaries and writings. She believes that June and Jennifer's relationship was a mixture of intense love and self-destructive competition. In one diary entry, Jennifer wrote: "We decided that one of us had to go. After her death, I would be free."

The story of June and Jennifer Gibbons, the silent twins, remains a mystery to many experts. From their years living in a world of their own to Jennifer's sudden death, this story reflects the power and darkness of the twin bond.

After leaving the spotlight, June found peace in a simple life. She kept her diaries as a reminder of her and her late sister's extraordinary journey. Their story, though tragic, continues to inspire reflection on the human psyche and the power of family love.