Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec were a power couple for more than two decades. They seemed to have it all; love, money, marital bliss, and three lovely kids. With their apparent harmony and happiness, everyone thought they were for keeps. But that was not the case.
A passing affair destroyed Diane Plese’s marriage overnight. What came next, was a whirlwind of resentment, litigation, loss, and finally parting ways.
This is how the story begins…
Who Is Diane Plese?
Diane Plese is a Canadian Optometrist with Croatian origins. Her parents came to Canada in 1959, and in 1962, Diane was born. She spent her childhood and early adolescence in Parkdale, Toronto.
Always the bright and diligent student, Diane finished high school with flying colors. The brilliant Diane finished her college studies in the 70s and went on to study optometry. In the early 80s, she got her degree and started working as an eye doctor.
That was when her big romance started.
How Diane Met Robert?
Much like Diane, Robert Herjavec was an immigrant. He was even born in the same year that she was, in 1962. But he was still in Croatia at the time and only immigrated when he was eight years old.
Robert also had Croatian parents, but unlike his wife-to-be, their life in Canada was a constant struggle. He spent much of his formative years doing odd jobs to help with domestic expenses. This didn’t stop him from getting a college degree in 1984.
Before gaining stellar success in the business world, Robert Herjavec experienced several ups and downs. But by the time he and Diane crossed paths, he was on the right track to stardom. As an owner of a successful Cybersecurity consultancy, he was filled with dreams and ambitions.
One day in 1988, Robert went to an eye clinic, and there he met an eye doctor who had so much in common with him; Diane Plese. The couple started dating, and soon, the marriage proposal came, followed by wedding bells.
In 1990, Diane Plese and Robert Herjavec had a lovely marriage ceremony at a Croatian church in Mississauga, Toronto.
The Happy Couple
Robert Herjavec and Diane Plese couldn’t be happier with their nice little life. Plese resumed working as an optometrist, while Robert set up his company, BRAK Systems, as a home office. They had some rough patches at the beginning, but Diane held the line, while her husband pushed the business forward.
Three years later, the happy couple decided to expand the family. They had their first son Brandon in 1993, followed by two daughters, Sky in 1996, and Caprice in 1998. The family was still living a normal life at that point, far from the spotlight and Hollywood glam.
In 2000, Robert sold off Brak Systems for $30.2 million and soon established himself as a full-fledged businessman. A few years later, he joined the ABC reality show “Shark Tank”.
With that much affluence, Diane felt that she could leave her profession, and dedicate all her time to the family. They bought a huge mansion in Bridle Path, which had 10 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, a sports center, and a lake.
From the outside, this family was a walking advertisement of bliss and serendipity. It seems that excessive happiness is sometimes as burdensome as excessive despondence. Humans can’t wait to dispense with both!
After 24 years of marriage, Robert Herjavec did the unthinkable.
Sudden Separation
In 2014, the couple announced their separation. The news took everyone by surprise since there were no preludes to that final act. At first, both Diane and Robert made amicable statements about their divorce, and neither gave any substantial reasons as to why they ended their marriage.
The subsequent events were anything but amicable though. News came out that Robert had had an affair with Danielle Vasinova, who was an actress he met in Tinseltown. At that point, Diane let out all of her fury and wanted the divorce to really hurt her husband. She went for every penny he had.
Litigation was lengthy, tedious, and aggressive. Both Diane and Robert fought hard to make sure the other partner was left with close to nothing. In 2016, Robert had to pay Diane $167,000 in monthly child and spousal support, plus $20 million as her share of their assets.
In a weird turn of events, Robert’s ex-mistress decided to side with Diane Peles and testified that Robert had undervalued his properties. Diane resumed litigation, and in 2019, received an extra $5.4 million.
Moving On
After all the good, the bad, and the ugly events that Diane Peles and Robert had been through, they both moved on. Diane decided to lead a low-profile life, primarily raising her children, while her ex-husband married since 2016 to Kym Johnson and had two more kids.
