Hollande visits partner Valérie Trierweiler in hospital

French President François Hollande has paid his first official visit to his partner Valerie Trierweiler since she was hospitalised in the wake of allegations he was having an affair, his office said Friday.

An official at the presidential palace said Friday that Hollande visited Trierweiler the previous evening. The 48-year-old journalist was admitted a week ago to an unspecified hospital for rest.

Hollande's office said she was in shock upon learning of the report in Closer magazine last week that the 59-year-old president has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet, who is 41.

In Friday's edition, Closer alleged that the affair has been going on for two years. The presidential palace has declined to comment.

On Thursday, Gayet initiated a civil law suit for violation of privacy against Closer magazine over its report.

Gayet is seeking 50,000 euros in damages and 4,000 euros in legal costs from the magazine over last week's report, which she claims breached France's privacy legislation. If she wins, Closer will have to publish the legal verdict on its cover page.

The magazine based its report on unauthorised photos taken outside a Paris building where Gayet's friends own an apartment.

When pressed about his prior threat to take legal action against Closer at a Tuesday press conference, Hollande replied that he had decided not to sue the magazine for invading his privacy because as head of state he was immune from being sued himself and did not want to create a double standard. He never, however, denied the reported affair.