Diane Plese: Everything About Robert Herjavec’s Ex-Wife

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist best known as the former wife of businessman, investor, and television personality Robert Herjavec. She gained public attention through their long marriage, but she also built her own professional life in eye care. Born in Toronto to Croatian immigrant parents, Diane spent most of her life in Canada and later became a mother of three. Her marriage to Robert lasted more than two decades before ending in divorce. In this article, we explore Diane Plese’s biography, age, family background, career, marriage, divorce, children, net worth, and life after separating from Robert Herjavec.

Quick Bio

Who Is Diane Plese?

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist who became widely known because of her marriage to Robert Herjavec. Robert is an entrepreneur, investor, and television personality famous for appearing on Shark Tank. Diane lived a comparatively private life even while her husband became increasingly successful. She established a career in optometry and worked as an eye doctor before becoming widely associated with Robert’s public life. Their relationship lasted for many years and they raised three children together. Although her former marriage remains the main reason people search for her, Diane’s background also includes her professional career, Croatian family roots, and role as a mother.

Diane Plese’s Early Life and Family Background

Diane Plese was born in 1959 in Parkdale, Toronto, Canada. Her parents were Croatian immigrants who established their lives in Canada, giving Diane a connection to both Canadian and Croatian culture. She grew up in Canada and later continued her education there. Details about her parents’ names, siblings, and childhood experiences have remained outside the spotlight. Unlike Robert Herjavec, whose business and television career brought him significant media attention, Diane generally preferred a quieter lifestyle. Her early years eventually led her toward healthcare, where she developed an interest in eye care and pursued the education needed to become a professional optometrist.

Diane Plese’s Age

Diane Plese was born in 1959, making her 66 years old in 2025. Her exact day and month of birth are not part of the biographical details surrounding her life. She was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and spent much of her adult life in the same country. Diane belongs to the same generation as her former husband, Robert Herjavec, who was born in 1962. Over the years, she experienced major changes in both her personal and family life, including building her optometry career, getting married, raising three children, supporting a growing family business, and eventually starting a different chapter following her divorce.

Diane Plese’s Nationality and Ethnicity

Diane Plese is Canadian by nationality because she was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Her family roots, however, extend to Croatia because her parents were Croatian immigrants. This background created a cultural connection that later became especially relevant in her relationship with Robert Herjavec, whose family also came from Croatia. Diane is described as being of white ethnicity and follows Christianity. Her Canadian upbringing and Croatian family heritage formed an important part of her personal background. The couple’s shared cultural roots were also reflected in their wedding, which took place at a Croatian church in Mississauga, Ontario, after they had been dating for approximately two years.

Education and Professional Training

Diane focused on education before beginning her professional life. She earned a college degree during the late 1970s and later entered an optometry programme. Her studies prepared her to work professionally in eye care, and she completed her optometry education during the early 1980s. Becoming an optometrist required Diane to develop the skills needed to examine patients and provide professional eye-care services. Her educational path eventually became important for another reason: her career reportedly brought her into contact with Robert Herjavec. Rather than entering entertainment or business herself, Diane developed a healthcare career and continued working as an eye doctor for several years.

Diane Plese’s Career as an Optometrist

Diane Plese began working professionally as an optometrist around the mid-1980s. Her work involved providing eye-care services and helping patients with their vision needs. Her occupation played an important role in her personal story because she reportedly met Robert Herjavec while working at an eye clinic. Robert visited the clinic for an eye examination in 1988, and their meeting eventually developed into a relationship. Diane continued to be recognised professionally as an optometrist even after becoming associated with her husband’s growing business success. Her career shows that she had established her own professional direction before becoming the wife of a successful entrepreneur and television personality.

How Did Diane Plese Meet Robert Herjavec?

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec reportedly first crossed paths in 1988 under ordinary circumstances. Robert visited the eye clinic where Diane was working as an optometrist for an examination. Their meeting developed into a romantic relationship, and they dated for around two years. The couple had something important in common: both came from families with Croatian roots. Their relationship eventually became serious, and they decided to marry in 1990. The wedding was held at a Croatian church in Mississauga, Ontario. What began with an eye appointment therefore developed into a marriage that lasted more than two decades and produced three children before the couple eventually separated.

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec’s Marriage

Diane and Robert married in 1990 and spent approximately 24 years together before their separation. During their marriage, Robert transformed himself into a highly successful businessman. Diane was with him during important stages of that journey, including the period when he established BRAK Systems, an internet security software integration company. The business reportedly began from the couple’s basement before becoming highly successful. In 2000, Robert sold BRAK Systems to AT&T Canada for $30.2 million. His growing wealth significantly changed the family’s financial circumstances. Meanwhile, Diane remained an important part of the family as they raised their three children and built their life together.

Why Did Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec Divorce?

Diane and Robert’s long marriage eventually came to an end after more than two decades. The couple separated in July 2014, and Diane filed for divorce in March 2015. Their split attracted considerable attention because Robert had become a well-known entrepreneur and television personality. Reports surrounding the separation linked Robert to actress Danielle Vasinova during that period. Robert described the breakdown of the relationship as a difficult time for the family and expressed his desire to move forward peacefully. After the separation and divorce process, both began separate chapters of their lives. Their marriage was officially brought to an end when the divorce was finalised in 2016.

Diane Plese’s Divorce Settlement

Diane Plese’s divorce attracted particular interest because of the significant wealth accumulated during her marriage to Robert. Their divorce was finalised in 2016, and the financial arrangements included a major settlement. Diane received approximately $25 million from Robert’s wealth. The arrangements also included payments of $125,000 per month connected with spousal and child support. Property formed another important part of the settlement. Diane received assets including the family’s Caledon ski chalet and a Florida property. The settlement gave her considerable financial resources following the end of their marriage and became one of the most widely discussed aspects of her divorce from the successful businessman.

Diane Plese’s Net Worth

Diane Plese’s net worth is commonly estimated at around $100 million. Her financial position is connected to both her professional life and the wealth involved in her divorce from Robert Herjavec. Diane spent years working as an optometrist, giving her an independent career before and during her marriage. However, the divorce settlement significantly contributed to her overall financial standing. She received approximately $25 million as part of the divorce arrangements, along with valuable property. Her former husband had accumulated substantial wealth through technology businesses and investments, including the successful sale of BRAK Systems. Diane has since maintained a much quieter lifestyle than her former husband.

Diane Plese’s Children

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec welcomed three children during their marriage: one son, Brendan, and two daughters, Skye and Caprice. Their eldest child, Brendan, was born in 1993 and later developed a career involving business strategy and development. Their second child, Skye, was born in 1996 and pursued her own professional interests as a business executive and entrepreneur. The couple’s youngest child, Caprice, was born in 1998. She demonstrated strong athletic ability during college before moving into professional work. Despite their parents’ highly publicised divorce, the three children have developed careers of their own and largely maintained lives outside regular celebrity coverage.

Who Is Diane Plese’s Son Brendan?

Brendan Herjavec is Diane and Robert’s eldest child. Born in 1993, he grew up while his father was developing a highly successful career in technology and entrepreneurship. Rather than becoming known primarily as a television personality, Brendan developed professional experience connected with business strategy and development. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family likely gave him early exposure to the business world, especially as Robert built and sold companies during Brendan’s childhood. Diane and Robert raised him alongside his younger sisters, Skye and Caprice. Brendan generally keeps a lower public profile than his father and has focused more attention on building his own professional path.

Who Is Diane Plese’s Daughter Skye?

Skye Herjavec is the second child of Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec. She was born in 1996 and later developed interests in business and entrepreneurship. Like her brother Brendan, Skye grew up in a family closely connected to the business world because of her father’s entrepreneurial career. She eventually followed a professional direction that includes work as a business executive and entrepreneur. Skye has generally maintained a quieter profile than Robert, despite being the daughter of a famous television investor. Her professional direction demonstrates that the younger generation of the Herjavec family has developed strong business interests while establishing careers separate from their parents’ personal history.

Who Is Diane Plese’s Daughter Caprice?

Caprice Herjavec is the youngest of Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec’s three children. Born in 1998, she displayed a strong interest in athletics while attending college and became a successful college athlete. After completing that stage of her life, she moved toward a professional career and began working in consulting. Her work has included executive compensation consulting, giving her a career outside entertainment and television. Caprice grew up alongside her older siblings, Brendan and Skye, during a period when their father’s business profile was rapidly expanding. Like her siblings and mother, she has generally maintained a more private lifestyle than Robert Herjavec.

Robert Herjavec’s Life After Diane Plese

Following the end of his marriage to Diane, Robert Herjavec entered another major relationship. He began dating professional dancer Kym Johnson, who became widely known through Dancing with the Stars. Robert and Kym later married in 2016, the same year his divorce from Diane was finalised. Their family expanded when they welcomed twins Haven and Hudson in April 2018. Robert has continued his career as an entrepreneur, investor, and television personality while building his new family life. Diane, meanwhile, has stayed much further away from television and entertainment coverage, maintaining the private approach that has characterised much of her life.

Where Is Diane Plese Now?

Diane Plese continues to be associated with Toronto, Canada, where she has spent much of her life. Since her divorce from Robert Herjavec, she has kept her personal activities largely outside the entertainment spotlight. Unlike her former husband, who continues appearing publicly through television, investments, and business activities, Diane does not maintain the same type of celebrity presence. Her quieter lifestyle is consistent with how she lived even during her marriage. Most public interest in her continues to focus on her optometry career, her Croatian family roots, her three children, her long marriage to Robert, and the major financial settlement that followed their divorce.

Diane Plese’s Height and Appearance

Diane Plese stands approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall, which is around 178 centimetres. She has blonde hair and brown eyes. During her marriage to Robert Herjavec, Diane occasionally appeared alongside him at public and red-carpet events, giving audiences a rare look at the woman who shared much of his early journey to business success. However, public appearances were never the main focus of her life. Her professional background remained in optometry rather than entertainment or modelling. After the couple separated, Diane became even less visible publicly and continued living away from the regular media attention surrounding Robert’s television and investment career.

Final Thoughts

Diane Plese has lived a life that combines professional achievement, family responsibilities, and an unexpected connection to celebrity culture. Born in Toronto to Croatian immigrant parents, she pursued optometry and built a career as an eye doctor before meeting Robert Herjavec in 1988. Their relationship led to a 24-year marriage and three children: Brendan, Skye, and Caprice. Diane witnessed Robert’s rise from entrepreneur to successful investor and television personality before their relationship ended. Their divorce brought significant public attention and a major financial settlement. Since then, Diane has chosen a quieter path and remains best known for her career, family, and former marriage.

(FAQs)

Who is Diane Plese?

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist best known as the former wife of entrepreneur and Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec. She was born in Toronto in 1959 and shares three children with her former husband.

How old is Diane Plese?

Diane Plese was born in 1959. She was 66 years old in 2025. She was born in Parkdale, Toronto, Canada, to Croatian immigrant parents and spent much of her life in Canada.

What does Diane Plese do for a living?

Diane Plese trained and worked as an optometrist. She completed her optometry education during the early 1980s and began practising professionally around the mid-1980s. Her work as an eye doctor also led to her meeting Robert Herjavec.

How long were Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec married?

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec married in 1990 after dating for approximately two years. They separated in 2014 after around 24 years of marriage. Diane filed for divorce in 2015, and it was finalised in 2016.

How many children does Diane Plese have?

Diane Plese has three children with Robert Herjavec. Their son Brendan was born in 1993, while daughters Skye and Caprice were born in 1996 and 1998, respectively. All three later developed their own professional careers.

What is Diane Plese’s net worth?

Diane Plese’s net worth is estimated at around $100 million. Her finances include earnings connected with her professional career and assets received following her divorce, including an approximately $25 million settlement and valuable real estate.

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