Julia was extremely devoted to Simba, who has been a part of her life since she began her stint in 90 Day Fiancé season 8. It’s actually hard to think of a pet owner who was (or is) more devoted to a dog than Julia was to Simba. Through life’s ups and downs, including a controversy over Julia’s thoughts on plastic surgery (she’s not a fan, and called out Yara Zaya for changing her face and body), and clashes with 90 Day Fiancé‘s Ron and Betty Gibbs (her husband Brandon Gibbs’ parents), Simba was there.

Julia’s Tribute To Her Dog Was So Emotional

She Did All She Could To Soothe Simba Before His Passing

Julia posted the most heartbreaking photo in the Instagram post shown above, via her Instagram. In the picture, Simba is very ill following a stroke. She cuddles her pet, whose eyes are filled with pain. The pooch’s gaze has a faraway quality that’s disturbing. Of course, she loves her dog with all her heart, and as she prepares to say goodbye, it’s clear that the situation is wrenching. Nothing is harder than letting go – accepting the finality of death is never easy. The pain of grief can be so extreme that it just takes over.

In the photograph, Julia’s delicate hand cradles the dog’s head. Her touch is so tender, so caring. The dog’s paws are up, almost helplessly, as she gives Simba a kiss. Really, it’s one of the most moving portraits of a dog and its owner. It shows the love between them so clearly, and definitely shows the great big heart that beats inside the “villain” Julia, who’s often misunderstood.

Julia often seemed cold-hearted, like a classic 90DF gold-digger, but she’s still with Brandon after all these years. She’s made peace with his parents, and now she’s crying over the death of a pet. She’s not as one-dimensional as she seemed.

Julia is a human being, and her journey on and off-screen underscores the fact that she’s evolving as a person. She’s showing entrepreneurial spirit with her subscription box service for pet owners, and she may be attempting to make more money because Brandon had a mental health crisis recently. He was living with panic attacks.

Julia Will Always Miss Simba

This Is A Heavy Blow

The sweet side of Julia is appealing. When she talks about Simba, she’s showing a lot of depth and compassion. In the past, it was easy to question her motives. She came from Russia like many 90 Day Fiancé gold diggers have, and it was all too easy to label her a user. She arrived at Hummingbird Acres farm, and immediately began to complain about being forced to sleep in a different bedroom than Brandon, and do farm chores.

When it came to Betty’s efforts to keep the young lovers apart, it’s easy to understand why Julia was so upset. They were in love and wanted intimacy. Betty was afraid that Julia would get pregnant. Later, it was revealed that Julia lives with fertility problems. It was also revealed that Julia didn’t have to do those tough tasks at the farm. She was given a choice and decided to. However, she seemed to prefer painting Ron and Betty as villains.

That’s the case with Julia. As her marriage endures, even though it’s hit turbulence, she’s shown that she loves her partner. At this point, she doesn’t really need to stay with Brandon. Other 90DF stars from abroad have bailed out on their relationships – one famous example is Pedro Jimeno. Julia stays, and that doesn’t seem like something a gold digger would do. There’s no indication that Brandon has a lot of money. Also, there’s nothing wrong with Julia wanting a better life – a nicer home, vacations, and the like.

Julia is not so bad. She may even be good. Her love for her pet says a lot about her. She is obviously capable is very deep love.

Julia May Get Another Dog Someday

But Nothing Can Replace Simba

For months, Julia did all that she could to save her dog. Above, 90dayfiance_Alexa posted a screengrab of one of Julia’s Instagram stories, which featured more details about the animal’s suffering before its tragic passing. Julia was suffering too – it was emotionally grueling for her when her pet “stopped walking” and she had to:

“feed him with a syringe.”

Now that Simba is gone, the dog doesn’t have to feel any more pain – only Julia does. And she is feeling it. The more people love, the worse it feels when that love is taken away, but someone can always remember. Since Julia is helping others with Kingdom of Dogs, she can honor Simba’s memory through her work.

Fans who believe Julia is a villain may need to revise their opinions based on her recent actions. However, she’s a strong person and doesn’t need to be liked in order to be happy. 90 Day Fiancé‘s Julia Trubkina knows who she is and that’s probably good enough for her. She shouldn’t have to charm the haters who trash her. She should be able to enjoy her life, and share its light and dark moments, regardless of what people say. Julia is tough, but she’s not heartless, and hopefully, she’ll recover from the death of Simba soon.