Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hacks season 3, episode 3.
Deborah’s daughter D.J. reveals she has a “geriatric pregnancy” in Hacks season 3, episode 3, but what age qualifies as a geriatric pregnancy, and how does D.J.’s age compare? Hacks season 3, episode 3, “The Roast of Deborah Vance,” sees Deborah preparing for a roast in her honor when her estranged daughter D.J. resurfaces. D.J. is one of the roasters (along with seasoned pros like Patton Oswalt and Natasha Leggero) and she wants to reconnect with her mother before ruthlessly mocking her on stage.
D.J., one of Hacks’ best characters, takes Deborah to a meeting of her eating disorder recovery group in the hope of mending their relationship and making a real emotional connection, but she’s furious when Deborah just makes the whole meeting about herself (as usual). During the intense argument that follows, D.J. reveals that she’s pregnant, and refers to the pregnancy as a “geriatric pregnancy.” She does this to get ahead of any snide jokes that Deborah might make at her expense – but what does it mean?
The term “geriatric pregnancy” refers to someone who is pregnant at the age of 35 or older. This age limit applies to the due date, so if someone gets pregnant at 34 but they’ll turn 35 before their due date, that’s technically a geriatric pregnancy. But this is an antiquated expression with some negative connotations, so it’s rarely used anymore. These days, healthcare professionals are more likely to use the less insensitive term “advanced maternal age” to refer to a pregnant woman of 35 or older.
While D.J.’s use of the term “geriatric pregnancy” confirms that she’s over the age of 35, her exact age is unclear. She had a birthday party in season 1, but a handful of different ages were given and it was never confirmed which one was the correct one. Based on the timeline of Deborah’s career and when she became a mother, D.J. was definitely born sometime in the mid-to-late 1970s (at the height of Deborah’s fame and, by extension, the height of her narcissism).
The actor who plays D.J. in Hacks, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson, is 48 years old in real life, which should give some clue as to how old the character is. Olson was born in 1975, which lines up with the lower end of the window in which D.J. was born. While her exact age is yet to be determined, she’s definitely past the “geriatric pregnancy” threshold of 35 years old.