Canton, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A Massachusetts judge on Thursday unsealed testimony by Mitt Romney in a lawsuit linked to a colleague's contentious divorce battle more than 20 years ago. 

The Boston Globe, with the support of attorney Gloria Allred, sought to make public the testimony Romney gave in the lawsuit that followed the divorce between Tom Stemberg, a co-founder of business supply chain Staples, and Maureen Stemberg Sullivan. 

While heading Boston private equity firm Bain Capital, Romney worked closely in the 1980s with Stemberg in the development of Staples. Stemberg spoke at the Republican National Convention in August that nominated Romney for president. 

A Massachusetts state court judge, Jennifer Ulwick, granted the Boston Globe's request for the testimony, but refused to lift a gag order that prevents Stemberg Sullivan from talking about her dealings and interactions with Romney. 

Lawyers for Stemberg and Romney told Thursday's hearing they had no objection to releasing the Romney testimony to the Boston Globe. 

Ulwick said the Romney testimony was being released to the newspaper without restrictions. 

Allred announced after the hearing she would provide copies of the Romney transcripts to other media outlets. 

The Boston Globe petitioned the court on October 15 to release Romney's testimony in the lawsuit filed in 1990, but Ulwick said at an initial hearing on Wednesday that she believed the documents had been destroyed. 

However, Allred and Stemberg Sullivan urged the court to agree to the newspaper's request and, in a surprise move, provided two volumes of Romney's testimony to the court. 
When?
20 years ago