Plato was born Dana Michelle Strain on November 7, 1964 in Maywood, California. She was adopted by Dean and Florine Plato and she legally changed her name from Strain to Plato. She was raised in Los Angeles, California. Plato was married to Lanny Lambert from 1984 until they divorced in 1990. They had one son, Tyler Lambert. Plato committed suicide when she had an overdose from pills in her home in Moore, Oklahoma, aged 34.