Haines and Shields began careers as interior designers and antique dealers. Hollywood celebrities went to their businesses. In 1936, neighbors accused the two men of seeking sex with their son. Members of the Ku Klux Klan dragged Haines and Shields from their home. They were beaten. Their close friends wanted them to prosecute. They declined. Haines served in World War II. The couple settled into the Hollywood community in Brentwood. Their business made money and they retired in the early 1970s. 