Robert Herjavec Says He Walked Off the ‘Shark Tank’ Set After Clash With Kevin O’Leary
Kevin O’Leary defends his tough approach with contestants after Robert Herjavec recalls walking off set.
Robert Herjavec thinks fellow shark Kevin O’Leary sometimes takes things too far.
While appearing alongside his Shark Tank cohosts Kevin O’Leary, Daniel Lubetzky, and Rashaun Williams on Business Radio’s The Business Briefing with Janet Alvarez, Robert recalled a moment that got so intense, he walked off set. Stream the full interview during the October 9 episode of The Business Briefing on the SiriusXM app.
“We went to a huge argument where [Mark] Cuban and I actually left the stage,” Robert said. “And people said to me afterwards, ‘Oh, that’s just acting.’ And it’s not. When we’re in the moment, it’s very real.”
Kevin, however, assured that his approach to keeping it real with the aspiring entrepreneurs may be tough, but effective.
“There’s not too far,” Kevin said. “There’s not. The tank is tough. I get it. And maybe I’m tougher, maybe, maybe not.”
Kevin further defended his stance by noting that he insults the contestants “idea, not them personally,” but it’s all about preparing them for the real world.
“But the real world out there is a b*tch,” he said. “And if you can’t get through the tank, it’s going to eat your heinie to pieces.”
Kevin said his approach can especially benefit entrepreneurs who return to the show after initially being rejected.
“I like to invest in the ones that come back,” he shared. “Because they failed on their first journey and they felt the sting of failure to motivate them to do it right and they’ve learned from what they did wrong.”
Kevin added that there’s no room for crying in his boardroom.
“And the ones that get up there and start crying I said it once and I’ll say it again,” he noted. “Tears buy you nothing in the Shark Tank. You’re just wasting your time, and your makeup looks like sh*t.”
All of the tough moments aside, Daniel noted that Shark Tank’s success comes from the inspiring moments shared between the sharks and entrepreneurs.
“The reason people turn to the show is because, look at the innovation and creativity,” Daniel said. “How people turn all the problems into solutions. Literally, you go to Shark Tank to get that inspiration.”
Start each day with the biggest business headlines and trends with The Business Briefing with Janet Alverez airing weekdays from 9–10am ET on Business Radio (Ch. 132).
