French President Hollande, partner Trierweiler split

PARIS -- French President Francois Hollande has split from partner Valerie Trierweiler after revelations this month of his affair with an actress.

Hollande issued a statement through Agence France-Presse yesterday saying his "shared life" with journalist Trierweiler had ended. The statement was confirmed by the Elysee presidential palace, which said there would be no further comment.

Celebrity magazine Closer ran photos in its Jan. 10 edition purportedly showing Hollande, 59, as he arrived on a scooter at an apartment around the corner from his office for a liaison with actress Julie Gayet, 41.

Hollande's official companion, Trierweiler, 48, was hospitalized for eight days after the report. The president has since said his relationship with her was having difficulty, and that he'd clear up whether she was still France's first lady before a Feb. 11 state visit to the United States.

Trierweiler won't be along for the U.S. visit, according to Le Journal du Dimanche and Le Parisien.

Le Parisien reported that Trierweiler had moved back into the Paris apartment the couple shared before Hollande won the presidency in 2012.

Hollande's approval rating has gained since news of the affair broke, rising to 31 percent from 27 percent at the start of the month, according to a BVA poll for France Inter radio and L'Express magazine published last week.