Julia Smith, originally John Smith, was a transgender woman living ninety miles round trip from Neptune with a husband. Her initial marriage ended very badly after she began to transition, and her wife told their son, Justin, that his father had died, even going as far as to cut Julia's head out of all their photos. Despite having been cut out of Justin's life, Julia quietly made an effort to try to see him, including driving every week to his video store to rent movies and ask him for recommendations. However, she kept her identity hidden as she was unsure how to break the news to him.
Later, Veronica Mars helped Justin track down his father: initially misidentifying her new husband as John Smith, Justin encountered Julia as she was pulling into the driveway and realized the woman who had been his customer was his father. Their meeting was less than spectacular, including Justin calling her a "circus freak." However, Veronica pointed out to Justin that his father travelled 90 miles round-trip every week just to see him. Thinking about this, Justin called Julia and apologized, deciding to reconnect with his father.