In 1985, twin sisters Linda and Lisa Yokubinas landed what probably felt like the deal of a lifetime when they were cast as the Doublemint Twins in a series of commercials for the chewing gum brand. The commercials ran for 10 years, launching the two to a particular kind of stardom that few ever experience.
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Unfortunately, it turns out that the women weren't exactly prepared to face everything fame would bring to the table, and they almost lost everything — including each other.
While Linda and Lisa were not the first set of twins used in the long-running campaign (Doublemint began featuring twins in its advertising in the mid-1930s), they enjoyed the longest run, lasting from 1985 to 1995. For a time, it seemed like the sisters had it all: fun, fame, and friendship.
However, once the commercials ran out, it seems so did the love between the pair. They later opened up to Oprah about the time period, with Linda explaining, "There’s an inherent competition you can’t get away from because when people try to compare you like objects, they’re going to try to find differences."
For Linda, her sister Lisa was always the better twin. As she put it, "I basically had a personal crisis. I dealt with a bout of anxiety that was debilitating."
Eventually, this darkness extended into every part of the women's relationship.
Unable to be around her sister due to her own feelings, Linda distanced herself. This in turn hurt Lisa, who said, "It felt like rejection. It just formed a wall between us. It was really hard."
Lisa eventually forced her way back into Linda's life, which turned out to be exactly what she needed. As Linda said, "Nothing felt good, but Lisa glued herself to me. She came and sat on the couch with me, laid in the bed with me. I started having these pockets of light, and this hope. I needed to hear that it will be OK."
Eventually, the two repaired their relationship and walked away from the harrowing experience with a greater understanding about human existence. As Linda explained, "I’ve learned that you never know what’s going on behind the eyes of someone."
