Diane Plese: Bio, Career, Children, Divorce & Net Worth

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist best known as the former wife of Robert Herjavec, the successful cybersecurity entrepreneur and investor on Shark Tank. The couple married in 1990, raised three children, and shared more than two decades of family life before separating in 2014.

However, Diane had already established her own professional career long before Robert achieved international fame. She operated an optometry practice, contributed to her family’s early financial stability, and later stepped away from professional work to raise their children.

Her life attracted greater public attention when their divorce led to a substantial financial settlement and a significant Canadian family-law case.

Diane Plese: Quick Facts

Diane Plese’s Early Life and Family Background

Diane Plese grew up in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood in Ontario, Canada. Her parents immigrated from Croatia, giving her a Croatian-Canadian family background that she later shared with her husband, Robert Herjavec.

Her upbringing took place within Toronto’s immigrant community, long before her name became connected to a successful technology entrepreneur. Her parents’ names, occupations, and individual life histories have not entered the established public record.

Information about Diane’s siblings and childhood experiences also remains limited. Unlike Robert, who has discussed his early family circumstances in interviews, Diane has shared very little about her life before adulthood.

Her exact date of birth has not received reliable public confirmation. What her documented history establishes more clearly is that she pursued professional education and developed an independent career in healthcare before her marriage.

Diane Plese’s Education and Optometry Career

How Diane Became an Optometrist

Diane Plese pursued optometry, a healthcare profession specializing in eyesight, vision correction, and the examination of eye health. Her professional education involved approximately six years of study and practical training before she established herself as a practicing optometrist.

Optometrists conduct vision examinations, prescribe corrective lenses, and evaluate patients for certain eye conditions. This work requires specialized scientific knowledge and practical clinical skills, and Diane built a career that allowed her to earn an independent income.

Although several biographies name specific universities, her precise academic institution and graduation date lack dependable public confirmation. Her professional qualification and history of operating an optometry office have much stronger documentation.

Running Her Own Optometry Practice

By the early years of her marriage, Diane worked full-time as an optometrist and managed her own office. She earned a regular professional income while Robert pursued business opportunities that carried considerably more financial uncertainty.

This distinction matters because Diane did not simply enter an already wealthy family. She contributed financially during the period when Robert was establishing his first major cybersecurity company, BRAK Systems.

Robert himself recognized the importance of her professional background in his 2010 book, Driven: How to Succeed in Business and in Life. He discussed her demanding optometry education and explained how her reliable earning potential provided security during his entrepreneurial beginnings.

Why Diane Stopped Working

Diane began reducing her professional hours after welcoming her first child in 1993. She continued practicing part-time between maternity leaves as the family expanded to include two more children.

Around 2003, Robert encouraged Diane to leave the workforce and concentrate on raising their children and running the household. She agreed, allowing Robert to dedicate more of his time to developing and managing his businesses.

That decision eventually became one of the most important details in their divorce proceedings. The court recognized that Diane had given up the long-term earning opportunities associated with her optometry career while contributing to the family’s financial success through childcare and household responsibilities.

How Did Diane Plese Meet Robert Herjavec?

Diane Plese met Robert Herjavec when he visited her as an optometry patient in the late 1980s. Their professional encounter developed into a personal relationship before Robert achieved the business success that later made him internationally recognizable.

At that stage, Robert was working in the technology industry and developing his entrepreneurial ambitions. Diane already had an established healthcare career, and their relationship began during a period when both were pursuing professional opportunities.

The couple married in 1990 and began building their life together in Canada. Their marriage coincided with the foundation of Robert’s first major business venture and continued through the most financially successful years of his early career.

Their shared Croatian family background also connected their personal histories. Both understood life within Canada’s Croatian community, although Robert had experienced immigration directly while Diane grew up in Toronto.

Who Is Robert Herjavec? His Background Before Marrying Diane

Robert Herjavec was born on September 14, 1962, in Varaždin, in what was then Yugoslavia and is now Croatia. His family moved to Canada in 1970 after his father, Vladimir, experienced political difficulties under the Yugoslav communist government.

Robert’s mother, Katica, also left their homeland and helped establish a new family life in Canada. The family eventually settled in Toronto, where Robert learned English and continued his education.

Robert graduated from the University of Toronto in 1984 after studying English literature and political science. He initially worked in television production before moving into technology sales, where he developed the experience that supported his later business ventures.

Founding BRAK Systems During Their Marriage

In 1990, the year he married Diane, Robert founded BRAK Systems, a Canadian company specializing in computer networking and internet security. He developed the business from modest beginnings while Diane continued generating income through optometry.

The company became increasingly valuable as businesses adopted internet technologies and required stronger security systems. In 2000, AT&T Canada purchased BRAK Systems in a transaction valued at approximately C$30.2 million.

That sale transformed the couple’s financial circumstances. Their growing wealth allowed them to purchase substantial properties, invest in different assets, and provide their children with an expensive education.

Building the Herjavec Group and Becoming a Television Investor

Robert returned to entrepreneurship in 2003 when he founded the Herjavec Group, a company focused on cybersecurity services and information technology protection. Around the same period, Diane stopped working outside the home and assumed greater responsibility for their children’s daily lives.

Robert subsequently appeared on the Canadian business television program Dragons’ Den, which launched in 2006. He expanded his television career when the American investment series Shark Tank premiered in 2009, introducing him to a much larger audience.

His business career continued after the couple’s separation. The Herjavec Group later became part of Cyderes, and Robert transitioned out of the chief executive position in 2024 while retaining involvement as an investor and board member.

Those later developments belong to Robert’s independent professional life, but his earlier achievements provide essential context for Diane’s story. Their marriage covered the period when he moved from an emerging technology entrepreneur to an established business leader and television personality.

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec’s Marriage and Family Life

Diane and Robert spent approximately 24 years together as a married couple before separating. During that time, they welcomed three children and experienced a dramatic transformation in their financial circumstances.

Their earlier years involved two working professionals establishing their careers and raising a young family. As Robert’s businesses expanded, their arrangement shifted toward Diane managing the household while he concentrated on business development.

The family lived in Toronto’s exclusive Bridle Path neighbourhood and owned additional recreational properties. Their lifestyle included private schooling, expensive homes, family vacations, and access to private aviation through Robert’s business activities.

Although Robert regularly appeared on television, Diane did not develop a comparable entertainment career. She occasionally accompanied him to public events, but most of her documented responsibilities concerned family life rather than media appearances.

Their contrasting careers became especially relevant after the marriage ended. The financial proceedings examined not only their accumulated property but also the professional opportunities Diane had surrendered during the relationship.

Diane Plese’s Children: Brendan, Skye, and Caprice Herjavec

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec have three children: one son, Brendan, and two daughters, Skye and Caprice. All three reached adulthood and pursued educational and professional interests outside their father’s television career.

Brendan Herjavec: Education, Business Career, and Podcast

Brendan Herjavec, born in 1993, is the eldest child of Diane and Robert. He pursued business education and developed a professional career involving marketing, corporate strategy, and organizational operations.

He earned an undergraduate degree in marketing from Wilfrid Laurier University and later completed an MBA at the University of British Columbia. His educational experience also included studies at the Yale School of Management.

Brendan has worked in business strategy and revenue operations, including positions connected with GreenShield, a Canadian health and benefits organization. He also created Building Blocks With Brendan Herjavec, a podcast featuring conversations with entrepreneurs about their businesses and professional experiences.

Brendan announced his engagement to Jessica in April 2022, and the couple subsequently married. Despite his family’s public profile, he has maintained a career primarily outside the entertainment industry.

Skye Herjavec: University Education and Finance

Skye Herjavec was born in 1996 and is Diane and Robert’s eldest daughter. She attended Havergal College in Toronto, where she participated in cross-country running during her school years.

Skye later studied at the University of Southern California, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management. She pursued professional opportunities in finance and had worked as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan Chase by 2018.

Unlike her father, Skye has not sought sustained public attention through television or entertainment. Her more recent professional activities and personal relationships have remained largely outside public reporting.

Caprice Herjavec: Rowing, Education, and Consulting

Caprice Herjavec, born in 1998, is the youngest child from Diane and Robert’s marriage. She attracted local attention in 2012 when she participated in Toronto’s Mayor for a Day initiative as a teenager.

Caprice attended Havergal College and developed an interest in competitive rowing. After graduating in 2016, she joined the women’s rowing program at Barnard College, which is affiliated with Columbia University.

She participated as a coxswain, a position that involves directing and coordinating a rowing crew during training and competition. Her athletic experience became part of her university life before she entered the professional workforce.

Caprice subsequently pursued consulting and joined Frederic W. Cook & Co., a compensation consulting firm in New York, as a full-time employee in 2020. Like her siblings, she has generally pursued professional goals without seeking a celebrity career.

Why Did Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec Divorce?

Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec separated in July 2014, bringing their lengthy marriage to an end. The separation became public in March 2015, when Robert confirmed that the couple had been living apart.

Robert publicly characterized their relationship as one that had deteriorated over time. Subsequent legal coverage also addressed an extramarital relationship during the period surrounding the marriage’s breakdown.

Diane did not provide an extensive public explanation of their personal disagreements. Rather than pursue public disputes through television interviews, she addressed the financial consequences of their separation through Ontario’s family-law system.

How the Separation Affected Their Family

Robert later discussed the emotional difficulties he experienced after the marriage ended. He described a period of serious psychological distress and acknowledged that his relationships with his older children initially became strained.

He subsequently participated in volunteer work at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, an experience he described as meaningful during that difficult period. His participation in Dancing with the Stars in 2015 also marked a new chapter in his public and personal life.

For Diane, the separation created substantial financial questions concerning property ownership, income, and support. The former couple’s significant wealth made the legal process more complicated than a straightforward division of ordinary household assets.

Diane Plese’s Divorce Settlement and Court Proceedings

The divorce between Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec attracted considerable attention because of the size of their assets and the financial obligations involved. Although the marriage legally ended in 2016, disagreements about financial support, property valuation, and a family trust continued for several years.

The 2015 Divorce Application and Temporary Support

Diane commenced formal family-law proceedings in March 2015, seeking financial support and the resolution of property issues. The case involved businesses, investments, real estate, and the financial circumstances of their children.

In December 2015, the court ordered temporary spousal support of C124,115permonthandtemporarychildsupportofC44,992 per month. These interim obligations applied while the parties continued addressing their financial disagreements.

A further dispute arose in 2016 when Diane sought an order restricting Robert’s ability to deal with certain assets before trial. The court declined to impose the requested restrictions because it did not find a sufficient risk that he would improperly dissipate those assets.

The 2018 Financial Judgment

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice conducted a lengthy trial in 2018 to address the remaining financial disagreements. The proceedings examined the parties’ business interests, investments, property ownership, family trust arrangements, and respective contributions during the marriage.

Justice Ruth E. Mesbur ordered Robert to make an equalization payment of C$2,689,558 to Diane. This amount addressed the difference between their legally calculated net family properties.

The court also ordered Robert to pay Diane C$125,000 per month in spousal support for an indefinite period. The judgment recognized her contributions as both an income-earning professional in the early marriage and a full-time parent and household manager in later years.

The court separately addressed child support for the youngest daughter during her university education. It ordered payments of C$14,233 per month for the months of May through August during the years covered by the applicable university-related provision.

Why the Court Awarded Substantial Spousal Support

The court considered the exceptionally high standard of living that Diane and Robert had enjoyed during their marriage. It also examined the economic consequences of Diane leaving her optometry career after years of professional training and employment.

Her earlier income had helped provide financial stability while Robert established his businesses. Later, her household responsibilities allowed him to devote substantial time to entrepreneurship without assuming the same daily childcare commitments.

The court assessed Robert’s annual income for support purposes at approximately C$5.9 million. It also considered the investment income Diane could generate from her share of the marital property and her expected future housing expenses.

The resulting support award reflected both compensation for her lost earning opportunities and the financial circumstances associated with their long marriage. The court did not treat Diane’s ownership of substantial assets as automatically eliminating her entitlement to spousal support.

Robert Herjavec’s Appeal in 2020

Robert challenged the spousal-support decision, arguing that the original order should be reduced or set aside. His appeal questioned how the trial judge had evaluated Diane’s financial needs and whether the support arrangement should continue indefinitely.

On December 16, 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal. The judges upheld the C$125,000 monthly support order and accepted the original court’s individualized assessment of the couple’s circumstances.

The decision also clarified an important principle in Canadian family law. Courts assessing support in exceptionally high-income marriages do not need to apply an automatic income cap or a single fixed calculation.

An indefinite support order does not necessarily prohibit future changes if legally relevant circumstances change. Nevertheless, the 2020 ruling preserved the original award rather than accepting Robert’s request to eliminate or substantially reduce it.

The Family Trust Dispute and Its Importance to Diane Plese

One lesser-known aspect of Diane Plese’s divorce involved the Robert Herjavec Family Trust, which Robert established in 1996. The trust became financially important after he transferred a substantial ownership interest in BRAK Systems into it the following year.

When AT&T acquired BRAK Systems in 2000, approximately C$21 million of the sale proceeds entered the trust. Over time, the family used trust-related money for various expenses, including education and household needs.

Following the separation, Diane challenged aspects of Robert’s handling of the trust funds. The legal proceedings also involved the interests of their children, with Brendan Alexander Herjavec and Skye Taylor Herjavec identified as objecting beneficiaries.

The court found that Robert had breached certain fiduciary duties by mixing trust money with personal and business funds. However, it also determined that the beneficiaries had received the financial benefits due to them and rejected the argument that the trust owned an equity interest in the Herjavec Group.

The judgment required Robert to bear the relevant trust accounting and legal costs personally. The dispute demonstrated that the couple’s divorce involved not only the division of marital property but also the management of assets intended to benefit their family.

Diane Plese’s Property and the $25 Million Divorce Figure

Many online biographies describe Diane Plese as receiving a $25 million divorce settlement. That figure simplifies a more complicated financial outcome involving property interests, existing assets, additional equalization, and continuing spousal support.

The financial proceedings evaluated real estate and investments worth millions of Canadian dollars. The former couple’s Toronto Bridle Path residence, which they had purchased for approximately C7million,soldin2018forC17.395 million.

Their other property interests included a cottage in Muskoka, a recreational property in Florida, and a ski chalet in Caledon. The court had to consider these assets alongside business ownership, outstanding financial obligations, and each spouse’s existing property.

The specific equalization payment ordered in 2018 amounted to approximately C2.69million,notasingleC25 million cash payment. The larger figure associated with Diane reflects the broader property-related financial outcome discussed during the litigation.

Her court-ordered monthly spousal support represented a separate financial obligation. The distinction matters because property division and ongoing spousal support serve different purposes under Canadian divorce law.

Robert Herjavec’s Marriage to Kym Johnson After Diane

After separating from Diane, Robert Herjavec participated in the twentieth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2015. Producers paired him with Australian professional dancer Kym Johnson, who had already established an accomplished career in competitive ballroom dancing.

Kym had previously won the American competition with entertainer Donny Osmond in 2009 and football player Hines Ward in 2011. She also worked on the Australian version of the program, including a role as a judge.

Robert and Kym developed a romantic relationship following their television partnership. The couple became engaged in February 2016 and married in Los Angeles on July 31, 2016.

Robert’s Children With Kym Johnson

On April 23, 2018, Robert and Kym welcomed twins, a son named Hudson Robert Herjavec and a daughter named Haven Mae Herjavec. Their arrival expanded Robert’s family to five children.

Hudson and Haven are the younger paternal half-siblings of Diane’s children, Brendan, Skye, and Caprice. Kym and Robert have shared occasional public updates about raising the twins, while Diane’s personal relationship with the newer members of Robert’s family remains private.

Robert’s second marriage has attracted ongoing entertainment coverage, particularly through his television appearances and Kym’s dancing career. Diane, by contrast, has not built a similar public-facing presence since her divorce.

What Is Diane Plese’s Net Worth in 2026?

Diane Plese’s exact net worth in 2026 has not been independently established. Although her divorce proceedings documented substantial assets and financial awards, those historical figures do not provide a reliable calculation of her present-day wealth.

Personal net worth depends on the current value of investments, property ownership, outstanding liabilities, spending, and other financial factors. The publicly documented divorce judgment does not establish the current value of every asset Diane may hold.

The frequently repeated $25 million estimate should therefore not be treated as an independently verified 2026 net worth. It primarily reflects the financial circumstances surrounding her divorce rather than a confirmed assessment of her wealth today.

Her professional earnings from optometry also formed part of her earlier financial history. However, her current income sources, investment arrangements, and private financial activities are not publicly documented in sufficient detail to establish a precise figure.

Diane Plese’s Public Appearances and Personal Life

Despite her preference for a largely private professional and family life, Diane did make occasional public appearances while married to Robert. Photographers captured the couple together at several entertainment and charitable events.

They attended the Canadian Film Centre Gala and Auction in Toronto on February 9, 2011. Diane also accompanied Robert to the 39th People’s Choice Awards in Los Angeles on January 9, 2013.

These appearances occurred during the later years of their marriage, when Robert’s television career had increased his public visibility. They demonstrate that Diane occasionally participated in celebrity events without establishing an independent entertainment career.

There is no dependable public record of Diane pursuing acting, television hosting, or a major media project. Her documented professional achievement remains her career in optometry, alongside her significant contributions to her family’s financial and domestic life.

Where Is Diane Plese Now in 2026?

Diane Plese continues to maintain a largely private public profile following her divorce from Robert Herjavec. Her most substantial public records concern her earlier optometry career, her family history, and the legal proceedings that followed her separation.

Her current residential address and daily activities have not received reliable public confirmation. Although Toronto features prominently in her biography, that historical connection does not establish her present place of residence.

There is also no dependable public confirmation that Diane has remarried or entered another publicly acknowledged relationship. Her present marital and relationship status therefore remains outside the established public record.

Similarly, her current involvement in optometry or another professional business is not clearly documented. The court proceedings established that she stopped practicing around 2003, but they do not establish a later return to clinical work.

Diane has no widely authenticated public social media presence that provides regular updates about her activities. Consequently, most contemporary interest in her life continues to focus on her children, former marriage, and financial history.

Why Diane Plese’s Story Still Matters

Diane Plese’s biography offers a different perspective on a family that became wealthy through technology and entrepreneurship. Her early professional income supported the household during Robert Herjavec’s business beginnings, while her later caregiving responsibilities coincided with his expanding commercial success.

The divorce proceedings gave particular attention to how those different contributions shaped the family’s economic position. They also established that substantial accumulated assets do not necessarily remove the financial consequences of leaving a profession during a long marriage.

Her story therefore connects several subjects that extend beyond celebrity interest: professional independence, parenthood, long-term marriage, high-value property division, and spousal-support law. It also provides context for understanding the early career of one of Shark Tank’s most recognizable investors.

Conclusion

Diane Plese is more than Robert Herjavec’s former wife. She established an optometry career, operated her own professional office, and contributed financially during the early years of the business success that eventually made her husband a prominent entrepreneur and television personality.

Her decision to leave professional practice and focus on raising Brendan, Skye, and Caprice became an important part of the family’s history. When the marriage ended after approximately 24 years, the resulting legal proceedings examined both her earlier earnings and the lasting economic effects of her responsibilities at home.

The financial judgment and subsequent Ontario Court of Appeal decision brought wider attention to Diane’s contribution to the marriage. Her experience remains a notable example of how Canadian family law considers professional sacrifices, family wealth, and the financial responsibilities of former spouses.

As of 2026, Diane has not established a new public celebrity identity or shared extensive details about her current activities. Her professional history, role in raising three children, and involvement in a significant family-law case remain the clearest and most meaningful parts of her public biography.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

1. Who is Diane Plese?

Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist best known as the former wife of Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec and the mother of their three adult children.

2. What does Diane Plese do for a living?

Diane previously operated her own optometry practice but stopped working around 2003 to focus on family responsibilities; her current professional activities remain publicly unconfirmed.

3. How did Diane Plese meet Robert Herjavec?

Diane Plese met Robert Herjavec when he visited her as an optometry patient in the late 1980s, before they married in 1990.

4. How many children does Diane Plese have?

Diane Plese has three children with Robert Herjavec: Brendan, born in 1993, Skye, born in 1996, and Caprice, born in 1998.

5. Why did Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec divorce?

Diane and Robert separated in 2014 after their marriage deteriorated, with an extramarital relationship also forming part of the circumstances surrounding their breakup.

6. How much money did Diane Plese receive in her divorce?

Diane received substantial property-related financial entitlements, including a court-ordered equalization payment of approximately C2.69millionandmonthlyspousalsupportofC125,000.

7. What is Diane Plese’s net worth in 2026?

Diane Plese’s exact net worth in 2026 remains unverified, although her divorce proceedings established substantial financial assets and a significant court-ordered spousal-support arrangement.

8. Did Diane Plese remarry after Robert Herjavec?

No dependable public confirmation establishes that Diane Plese remarried following her 2016 divorce from Robert Herjavec, and she has kept her subsequent relationships private.