In the Happiness Is Ending, Princess embraces self-love and independence after turning forty. She accepts Leo’s new relationship, and considers a future with Chef Mawethu, but remains confident in her own worth. The film leaves viewers with hope for Princess’s future, whether she finds new love or stays happily single.

Princess, a successful businesswoman and loving mother, celebrated her 40th birthday amidst emotional upheaval in Happiness Is, a South African rom-com drama.

She had long hoped for a reconciliation with her ex-husband, Leo, with whom she shared a daughter, Thandi.

Despite being a woman with many accomplishments, Princess’s romantic life remained unfulfilled, and she secretly nurtured feelings for Leo, believing they might rekindle their relationship.

However, her hopes were crushed when she learned Leo was dating someone new—Nelly, the sister of Sabela, the man her best friend, Tumi, was casually seeing.

Princess decided to spend her birthday at her mother’s vacation house to reflect on her life, but Tumi, determined to make her birthday memorable, secretly organized a surprise birthday bash.

What started as a weekend escape to clear her head turned into an emotionally charged weekend with unexpected guests, awkward encounters, and surprising revelations.

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Did Leo and Nelly Become Parents?

One of the most pivotal moments during the birthday weekend came when Princess noticed that Nelly, Leo’s girlfriend, was frequently nauseous. It didn’t take long for Princess to deduce that Nelly was pregnant.

Nelly, however, was hesitant to embrace motherhood. She and Leo were both recovering addicts, and the idea of bringing a child into their already complicated lives scared her. Nelly hadn’t shared this news with Leo, hoping to figure out her feelings before involving him.

However, Princess, still emotionally entangled in her past relationship with Leo, couldn’t keep the secret. During a game of dumb charades, she inadvertently revealed Nelly’s pregnancy to Leo, which led to immediate tension.

Leo was hurt that Nelly had hidden something so significant from him. He confronted her, and a rift began to form between the two. Princess, realizing she had overstepped, tried to apologize to both Leo and Nelly.

While she regretted her actions, her lingering feelings for Leo made it difficult for her to fully accept his new relationship.

Later, as the weekend progressed, Leo and Nelly found a moment to talk. Nelly expressed her fears about becoming a mother.

She worried that they weren’t ready, given their history with addiction. Leo, however, was supportive and reassured her that they could face the challenges together.

He expressed his belief that with Nelly by his side, they could navigate any difficulty, including parenthood. The pair reconciled, with Leo promising to be there for Nelly no matter what decision she made about the pregnancy.

By the end of Happiness Is, Nelly was more open to the idea of becoming a mother, and Leo stood by her, ready to start a family. They had Princess’s blessing, which marked her acceptance of Leo’s new relationship and her decision to move on from the past.

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Tumi and Sabela’s Relationship Struggles

While Princess navigated her complicated feelings toward Leo and Nelly, Tumi, her best friend, was dealing with her own emotional challenges. Tumi had entered into a casual relationship with Sabela, but Sabela wanted more.

He had fallen in love with her and was eager to take their relationship to the next level. However, Tumi resisted, avoiding serious commitment at every turn.

She even brought along a random guy she met during a zip-lining trip to the weekend getaway to show Sabela that she wasn’t ready for anything serious.

What no one knew was that Tumi had a painful secret. In her previous marriage, she and her husband had tried to conceive, only for her to discover that she had biological complications. T

his revelation had been a significant factor in the breakdown of her marriage. Afraid of experiencing another heartbreak, Tumi shut herself off from deeper relationships, believing that her inability to start a family would eventually drive Sabela away, just as it had with her ex-husband.

As the weekend went on, the tension between Tumi and Sabela grew. Tumi couldn’t hide her jealousy when Sabela interacted with Fifi, a social media influencer who had tagged along for the weekend.

Their jealousy and unresolved feelings came to a head during Princess’s birthday party when a very drunk Tumi started an argument with both Sabela and Fifi. What began as a fun birthday celebration quickly spiraled into chaos.

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Princess and Tumi also had a heated argument where Tumi accused Princess of being ungrateful despite all her efforts to organize a lavish party. In response, Princess shot back, pointing out that Tumi was no different in obsessing over her ex-husband.

Sabela, heartbroken by the fight, disappeared the next morning. He was eventually found hiding in a cave, seeking solace after the emotional confrontation.

Princess, realizing that both she and Tumi had let their personal issues ruin the weekend, decided to help them make amends.

She and Tony, another guest at the party, locked Tumi and Sabela in a wine cellar to force them to confront their feelings.

Trapped together, Tumi finally opened up about her past fears and her medical condition, confessing that she had pushed Sabela away because she was afraid of being abandoned once he learned the truth.

Sabela, however, was unfazed by the revelation. He reassured Tumi that he wasn’t going anywhere and that he loved her for who she was, not for her ability to have children.

He, too, had been cheated on in his previous relationship and understood the pain of betrayal. With their hearts laid bare, Tumi finally admitted that she loved him, and the two reconciled, agreeing to face their future together, no matter what challenges it might bring.

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Did Princess Find Love?

Amid all the drama surrounding Leo, Nelly, Tumi, and Sabela, Princess found herself drawn to Chef Mawethu, the personal chef who had been hired to cook for the weekend. Their first encounter had been anything but pleasant.

They initially clashed when Princess was on her way to her mother’s villa, but as the weekend progressed, she began to warm up to him. Mawethu provided a listening ear when Princess needed someone to talk to, and she found comfort in his presence.

During Princess’s birthday party, they shared a moment of physical intimacy, but Princess, still processing her feelings about Leo and her emotional exhaustion, pulled back.

She didn’t want to rush into another relationship without thinking it through, and she wasn’t ready to make the same mistakes again. Mawethu, understanding her hesitation, didn’t push her and allowed her to take her time.

By the end of Happiness Is, Princess realizes that turning forty didn’t mean her life was over—it marked the beginning of a new chapter. She understood that she didn’t need anyone else to validate her existence.

She was enough on her own. However, this realization didn’t close her off to the possibility of love. In the final moments of the film, Princess walked toward Mawethu, indicating that she was ready to give their relationship a chance.

Whether or not they would end up together wasn’t the point. What mattered was that Princess had learned to embrace who she was, and she was finally open to new possibilities—both in love and in life.

In her forties, Princess realized that loving herself and being independent were just as important as finding love. Whether she ended up with Mawethu or stayed single, she knew her own value.

The ending of Happiness Is gave viewers hope for Princess’s future, showing she would stay amazing, no matter what.