Robert Herjavec of Shark Tank is “out” — from his marriage, that is.
Herjavec is reportedly already in a legal separation from his wife of 15 years, Diane Plese, with a divorce being the next step. The couple have three kids, two daughters, and a son.
In confirming the split, the wealthy entrepreneur and business mogul told TMZ that “Human relationships are so difficult… I wish nothing but love and peace for our family as we move forward from this.” The couple owns several homes in Ontario.
Herjavec’s family immigrated from Croatia to Canada, and from very humble beginnings which he has often alluded to on the show, he eventually became a self-made multimillionaire in the IT business. Herjavec, 52, initially rose to celebrity status on Dragons Den (the precursor to Shark Tank ) in Canada which also starred “Mr. Wonderful” Kevin O’Leary. He is said to be worth about $200 million, so the divorce is likely going to be a very expensive proposition for the TV star and auto racing enthusiast.
Herjavec is also a contestant in the upcoming season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars , partnering with Kym Johnson. Herjavec’s mom was a big fan of the show, which apparently influenced his decision to join the cast of DWTS Season 20, which premieres on March 16.
If you haven’t the seen Shark Tank , what happens on the show is that entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to five often obnoxious, but oddly engaging, deep-pocketed “sharks” and try to convince at least one of the panelists to invest in their venture. The millionaire sharks are sometimes overly stingy with their money or overreaching with their demands for equity in a company. Herjavec, however, tends to come across as Shark Tank ‘s nice guy, although this approach sometimes seems a little forced.
The catchphrase “I’m out” indicates that a shark won’t be investing in the venture.
Commenting on the Robert Herjavec divoce, Gossip Cop noted that “Herjavec and Plese are Croatian-Canadians, and he first met her when she was his optometrist. Their romance, rooted in ocular health, lasted a quarter of a century. The businessman’s involvement in technology companies has generated a fortune estimated in the hundreds of millions. At this point, there’s no word on whether Herjavec and Plese have already arranged a preliminary divorce settlement.”
Obviously, many factors can lead to a couple deciding to go their separate ways. Do you think that the Hollywood lifestyle might have played a role in the Robert Herjavec divorce?
Heading to #nyc for @HerjavecGroup business — gotta rehearse somewhere!! #sharkaroo @kym_johnson pic.twitter.com/WfejRwn2Oc
— Robert Herjavec (@robertherjavec) March 4, 2015
[Photo by Chris Weeks/Getty Images Entertainment]