By Muhammad Huzaifa | Last updated: November 1, 2026
Diane Plese is a Canadian optometrist, best known as the first wife of Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec. Search results about her are messy. Some pages give her the wrong job, the wrong age, or the wrong length of marriage. This biography sticks to what court records and reliable news reports support, and it says clearly where a fact is unknown. You will find a quick fact table, her career, her family, a timeline of her life story, and a plain-English explanation of the court case that made her name so widely searched.
Quick Facts About Diane Plese
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Diane Plese (Dr. Diane Plese) |
| Known for | Former wife of Robert Herjavec; a party in a major Ontario family law case |
| Profession | Optometrist (eye doctor); reportedly left paid work around 2003 |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Date of birth | Not confirmed (online sources disagree) |
| Marriage | Married Robert Herjavec in 1990 |
| Separation | July 24, 2014 (from the court judgment, as reported) |
| Divorce | Reported as early 2016 |
| Children | Three: Brendan, Skye and Caprice |
| Court rulings | Trial decision in December 2018; support order upheld on appeal in December 2020 |
| Net worth | Not confirmed; online estimates vary widely |
| Social media | No verified public accounts found |
Who Is Diane Plese? Clearing Up the Name Confusion
The Diane Plese most people search for is the optometrist from Ontario, Canada, who was married to Robert Herjavec for 24 years. She did not choose public life. I found no reliable record of her acting, hosting a show, or promoting a brand.
Even so, several low-quality websites describe her as an actress, a psychologist, a beauty expert, or the ex-wife of a different celebrity. None of these claims is supported by court records or trusted news outlets. One page even said she had died, but I found no credible report that says so. Because her name is rare, these mistakes spread easily when sites copy each other.
Early Life and Education: What Is Actually Known
Very little is confirmed. Many websites say she was born in 1959 in Parkdale, Toronto, but none of them shows a source. A summary of the Ontario Court of Appeal ruling says both spouses were 56 years old at the 2018 trial. That would not match 1959. I could not read the full ruling myself, so treat this as a lead, not proof.
Her school, parents and hometown are also not confirmed by reliable sources. Because she became an optometrist, we can say she completed professional training in eye care. The details are not public.
Diane Plese Career as an Optometrist
Early in her marriage, Diane worked full time as an optometrist. Reporting based on the appeal ruling says she also ran her own office. Her steady income helped the family while Robert Herjavec built his first business, BRAK Systems, which he started in 1990 from the basement of their home. He sold it in 2000 for $30.2 million.
Many websites repeat that the two met in 1988, when Robert visited her clinic for an eye appointment. I could not confirm this from a primary interview, so it is best read as a popular story.
After their first child was born in 1993, Diane reportedly moved to part-time work. Around 2003, the year Herjavec founded The Herjavec Group, she stepped away from paid work to focus on the home and children. This choice mattered later. The judge treated it as a real cost to her career.
Marriage to Robert Herjavec
Diane and Robert married in 1990. Over the next two decades, his businesses grew, and he became a TV face on Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank. The family lived in a large home in Toronto’s Bridle Path area and also owned other properties.
The couple separated on July 24, 2014, after 24 years of marriage. Many websites say 25, 26 or even 30 years, but 1990 to 2014 gives 24. Herjavec later married dancer Kym Johnson in July 2016. I found no reliable record that Diane has remarried.
Diane Plese’s Children
Diane and Robert have three children: Brendan (born 1993), Skye (born 1996) and Caprice (born 1998), according to People. They are adults now. Since they are private individuals, this article shares only their names and birth years.
Diane Plese Life Story: A Simple Timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Widely repeated story that the couple met at her clinic (unconfirmed) |
| 1990 | Diane and Robert marry |
| 1993 | First child born |
| Around 2003 | Diane leaves paid work, according to reporting on the court record |
| July 24, 2014 | The couple separates |
| March 2015 | Diane starts the family law case |
| December 2015 | Temporary support order reported |
| Early 2016 | Divorce reported |
| December 2018 | Trial decision by Justice Ruth Mesbur |
| December 16, 2020 | Ontario Court of Appeal decision |
The Divorce Case Explained in Simple Words
What the Judge Ordered
The case went to a four-week trial before Justice Ruth Mesbur of the Ontario Superior Court. She ordered Herjavec to pay Diane $125,000 a month in spousal support, with no set end date. She also ordered an equalization payment of about $2.6 to $2.7 million, which balances the value of property between spouses. Reports differ slightly on the exact figure. Diane would also receive about $2.4 million when a Florida property sold, plus one third of the sale of a ski chalet in Caledon.
Child support was a separate order for their youngest daughter during her university years. It should not be mixed with the $125,000.
Why the Support Was So High
The judge found that Diane had been out of paid work for about fifteen years to raise the children, which gave Robert more freedom to build his business. This is called compensatory support. The court also considered the high standard of living the family had enjoyed. A legal blog reports that Diane would need about $58,000 a month for her lifestyle, and that standard guidelines suggested $153,000 to $187,000. The judge chose a lower amount of $125,000.
The trial also showed how hard it can be to value a company. Experts for each side disagreed by nearly $30 million on the value of Herjavec’s shares, and the judge set the value at $32 million.
The “$25 Million” Confusion
Many pages say Diane received a $25 million “settlement.” That is too simple. News reports describe about $25 million as the total she would hold after property was divided, including her own assets and the equalization payment. It was not one cheque, and monthly support is separate. Claims of a $100 million payout are not supported by the court figures I found.
The Appeal
Herjavec appealed. In December 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the ruling, and the support order stayed in place.
Diane Plese Net Worth: Why Online Numbers Do Not Match
No verified current net worth exists for Diane. Websites list anything from $10 million to $100 million, and none shows proof. One summary of the trial ruling puts her share of family property at about $18.8 million on the valuation date, but that is an old figure, not her wealth today. Any number you see is an estimate, and as of 2026 it cannot be confirmed.
Where Is Diane Plese Now in 2026?
Diane keeps a low profile. I found no new news about her in 2026, and most recent coverage focuses on Robert and the children. Some sites say she lives in Toronto, but this is not confirmed, and her private life deserves respect. There is also no reliable proof about whether she works in optometry today.
Facts vs. Myths
| Claim you may see online | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| She is an actress or psychologist | No reliable support; she is known as an optometrist |
| She was married 25 to 30 years | Married 1990, separated 2014: about 24 years |
| She gets $125,000 a month in child support | The $125,000 is spousal support; child support is separate |
| She received a $100 million settlement | Not supported by court figures |
| Her birth year is certainly 1959 | Not confirmed; sources conflict |
How This Was Researched
I researched this biography by reviewing about a dozen existing Diane Plese articles, Robert Herjavec’s Wikipedia page, news coverage from 2015 and 2019, law firm and legal database summaries of the Ontario rulings, and recent 2026 updates. Many pages disagree with each other, so I left out claims I could not support. I could not open the full court judgment, and where I rely on summaries, I say so. This article tries to fill a gap by giving a clear, sourced timeline and a plain explanation of the court case.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including court-ruling summaries and verified news coverage. Where details were unclear, I marked them as unconfirmed instead of guessing. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Muhammad Huzaifa, contributor at Aurel Magazine.
