Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist who became widely known because of her long marriage to businessman and Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec. Yet there is more to her story than simply being the former wife of a television personality. Long before Robert became internationally famous, Diane had developed her own professional life in healthcare and built a career as an optometrist.
For more than two decades, Diane and Robert shared a family life while his business career grew from small beginnings into major success. They raised three children together and built a comfortable life in Canada. Their marriage eventually ended, and their divorce became a matter of public interest because of the couple’s wealth and business assets.
Unlike many people connected to television celebrities, Diane Plese has never appeared eager to live in the spotlight. Since her divorce, she has remained mostly private and rarely gives public interviews. This quiet approach has only increased curiosity about her life, career, family, and relationship with Robert Herjavec.
Quick Bio
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Diane Plese |
| Known For | Former wife of Robert Herjavec |
| Profession | Optometrist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Birthplace | Toronto, Canada |
| Family Background | Croatian heritage |
| Education | Trained in optometry |
| Former Husband | Robert Herjavec |
| Marriage Year | 1990 |
| Separation Year | 2014 |
| Divorce Finalised | 2016 |
| Children | Caprice, Skye and Brendan Herjavec |
| Number of Children | Three |
| Current Lifestyle | Private and largely away from media attention |
Who Is Diane Plese?
Diane Plese is a Canadian healthcare professional best recognised as an optometrist and the former wife of entrepreneur Robert Herjavec. She spent much of her adult life outside the entertainment industry and did not build her public identity around television or celebrity culture.
She is believed to have been born and raised in Toronto, Canada, in a family with Croatian roots. Her background has often been mentioned because Robert Herjavec was also born into a Croatian family before moving to Canada as a child.
Diane chose healthcare as her profession and studied to become an optometrist. Optometrists specialise in eye examinations, vision problems and the general health of the eyes. It is a profession that requires formal education, professional training and strong attention to patients’ needs.
Her career gave Diane an independent professional identity before her marriage became widely discussed in the media.
Diane Plese’s Early Life and Background
There is limited verified public information about the early years of Diane Plese. This is partly because she was never a celebrity in the traditional sense and has generally avoided discussing her personal history in interviews.
She is widely described as Canadian and associated with Toronto, Ontario. Reports have also linked her family background to Croatia. However, unlike her former husband, whose childhood and immigration story have been discussed extensively in interviews, Diane has kept most details about her parents and upbringing private.
Her decision to remain private has continued throughout her life. Even during the years when Robert was appearing on television and building a major public profile, Diane rarely became a regular part of the entertainment press.
That privacy is an important part of her story. Much of what is publicly known about her comes from her professional career, her marriage, her family and later court proceedings connected to the divorce.
Her Career as an Optometrist
Before becoming known through her relationship with Robert Herjavec, Diane Plese worked as an optometrist in Canada. Her career shows that she had already established a professional path of her own.
Optometry involves examining patients’ eyesight, identifying vision problems and helping people manage eye-related conditions. It is a specialised healthcare profession that usually requires years of education and practical training.
Diane reportedly practised in Ontario, although detailed information about the clinics where she worked has remained limited. She was never known for promoting herself publicly through television, interviews or social media.
As Robert’s business career became more demanding and the couple started raising children, reports suggest Diane became increasingly focused on family life. Still, her background in healthcare remains one of the most important parts of her identity outside her marriage.
How Diane Plese Met Robert Herjavec
One of the most repeated stories about Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec concerns the unusual way they reportedly met.
According to accounts published about the couple, Robert met Diane during an eye appointment in the late 1980s. Diane was working in optometry at the time, and Robert was said to have been one of her patients.
Their professional meeting reportedly developed into a personal relationship. The pair later began dating and eventually decided to marry.
Diane and Robert married in 1990, years before Robert became one of the best-known business investors on television. At that stage, he was still building his career and working towards the business success that would later make him wealthy.
Their relationship therefore began long before the fame associated with shows such as Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank.
Marriage to Robert Herjavec
The marriage between Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec lasted for more than two decades. During that period, Robert experienced major changes in his professional life.
He became involved in the technology industry and built several successful businesses. His profile later grew even further when he joined television programmes focused on entrepreneurship and investment.
Diane’s life was much less public. She stayed largely outside Robert’s television career and focused on their family.
Their long marriage covered the period in which Robert moved from an ambitious businessman to a highly successful entrepreneur and television investor. This history later became relevant during discussions surrounding their divorce and financial settlement.
Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec’s Children
Family was an important part of Diane’s marriage. She and Robert had three children together: Caprice Herjavec, Skye Herjavec and Brendan Herjavec.
Despite their father’s television fame, the children were generally raised with more privacy than many celebrity families. Diane and Robert did not constantly place them in front of cameras or use their family life as part of a public brand.
Caprice Herjavec has attracted some attention for her education and professional interests, while Skye Herjavec and Brendan Herjavec have also largely maintained lives outside constant celebrity coverage.
Diane’s role as a mother became a major part of her life during the marriage. While Robert travelled, developed companies and worked on television projects, Diane reportedly placed greater attention on the family’s daily life.
Why Did Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec Separate?
After around 24 years of marriage, Diane and Robert separated in 2014. Their separation quickly attracted interest because Robert had become a well-known television figure by that time.
The end of a long marriage is often complicated, and theirs involved both emotional and financial issues. Media reports discussed problems within the relationship, while later legal proceedings focused heavily on money, assets and financial support.
Their divorce was finalised in 2016.
Because Robert had built considerable wealth during the marriage, the financial side of the separation received significant attention. It was not simply a matter of ending a personal relationship. The couple had shared property, investments, business interests and other assets developed during a marriage lasting more than two decades.
The Financial Side of Their Divorce
The divorce involving Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec became notable because of the large financial interests involved.
Legal proceedings examined questions including property division, business valuation, family assets and spousal support. These issues can become particularly complex when one spouse owns or has interests in companies whose value increased greatly during a marriage.
Reports surrounding the case also brought attention to Diane’s contributions to the family during the years Robert was developing his businesses.
Financial contribution within a marriage is not limited to salary. Raising children, supporting the household and allowing one partner to spend significant time developing a business can also become important when courts consider a long-term marriage.
The legal dispute helped bring Diane back into public attention even though she herself remained largely silent.
Diane Plese’s Life After Divorce
After her divorce from Robert Herjavec, Diane Plese appears to have chosen an even more private lifestyle.
She has not built a career as a television personality, influencer or public speaker. There is also little evidence that she has tried to use her former marriage to gain continued media attention.
Instead, she has largely remained away from interviews and public events.
This is quite different from Robert’s life. He continued appearing on Shark Tank, participating in business projects and maintaining a strong public presence.
Diane’s preference for privacy means reliable details about her current daily life are limited. Claims about her relationships, personal activities or exact financial position should therefore be treated carefully unless supported by reliable information.
Why Diane Plese Still Attracts Public Interest
There are several reasons why people continue to search for information about Diane Plese.
First, she was married to Robert Herjavec during an important period in his rise as a businessman. Their marriage began years before his international television fame.
Second, Diane had her own respected healthcare career. She was not introduced to professional life through Robert’s success.
Third, their divorce became widely discussed because of the financial issues involved. High-value divorces involving successful entrepreneurs often attract interest because courts must examine businesses, property and the contributions made by both spouses.
Finally, Diane’s private personality creates natural curiosity. Unlike many people connected to famous personalities, she rarely shares personal details publicly.
Is Diane Plese on Social Media?
There does not appear to be a widely verified public social media presence regularly used by Diane Plese.
This fits with the way she has lived for many years. She has generally avoided publicity and has not used her connection to Robert Herjavec to develop a large public following.
People searching for accounts using her name should therefore be careful. A profile using a celebrity-related name is not automatically authentic.
Her lack of a strong public social media presence is another reason why many details about her current life remain private.
Conclusion
Diane Plese is more than simply the former wife of a famous entrepreneur. She built a professional background in optometry, became a mother of three and spent more than two decades sharing a life with Robert Herjavec while his business career developed.
Their marriage eventually ended, and the financial aspects of their divorce attracted significant public attention. Even so, Diane did not turn that attention into a permanent celebrity career.
Instead, she has continued to value privacy. Her story combines professional achievement, family life, a long marriage and the challenges of going through a highly publicised divorce. Today, interest in Diane remains strong, but her limited public presence shows that she appears comfortable keeping much of her personal life away from the spotlight.
(FAQs)
Who is Diane Plese?
Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist who became publicly known as the former wife of businessman and Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec. She had a professional career in healthcare before becoming widely known through the marriage.
What does Diane Plese do for a living?
Diane trained and worked as an optometrist. She has maintained a low public profile, so detailed information about her present professional activities is limited.
How did Diane Plese meet Robert Herjavec?
The couple reportedly met in the late 1980s when Robert visited Diane for an eye appointment. Their relationship developed afterwards, and they married in 1990.
How many children does Diane Plese have?
Diane and Robert Herjavec have three children together: Caprice Herjavec, Skye Herjavec and Brendan Herjavec.
When did Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec divorce?
The couple separated in 2014, after more than two decades of marriage. Their divorce was finalised in 2016, although legal and financial matters connected with the separation continued to receive public attention afterwards.
