PARIS — French President Francois Hollande has split with the country’s first lady two weeks after a tabloid reported that the leader was having an affair with an actress, an official said Saturday.
A presidential aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter, confirmed that Hollande had ended his seven-year relationship with Valerie Trierweiler.
The breakup was first reported by French news agency Agence France Presse, which said Hollande told it in a telephone conversation Saturday evening that “I make it known that I have put an end” to the relationship with Trierweiler.
He and Trierweiler have lived together since 2007. Although they’re unmarried, Trierweiler occupied the so-called madame wing of the presidential palace, traveled abroad with Hollande and functioned as the first lady.
Trierweiler checked into a hospital for a week-long stay after the tabloid’s report about the affair, during which suspense continued to build over the next twist in the love triangle. The Associated Press
