( CNN ) -- French President Francois Hollande and the first lady parted ways Saturday , with the leader declaring it 's over and his partner of several years bidding farewell to the staff of the presidential residence . The breakup occurred in the wake of a media account earlier this month about Hollande allegedly having an affair with actress Julie Gayet . Hollande told a French news outlet Saturday he is ending his relationship with his partner , Valerie Trierweiler . `` I wish to make it known that I have ended my shared life ( partnership ) with Valerie Trierweiler , '' Hollande is quoted as saying to Agence France-Presse . Trierweiler sent a goodbye message Saturday via Twitter to the staff at the presidential palace . `` All my gratitude goes to the extraordinary people at the Ã‰lysÃ©es . I will never forget the devotion or emotion at the time of leaving , '' she wrote . Hollande 's private life has been the subject of global headlines since the French magazine Closer claimed this month he was having a two-year affair with Gayet . Speculation about the split swirled Saturday after a French national weekly reported that Hollande was expected to announce his separation from Trierweiler on Saturday , a day before Trierweiler travels to India . The story was picked up by several French media outlets . But the French presidency initially denied the report that an announcement would be made . `` It is a rumor that circulated on the Internet today . There is absolutely no confirmation of the publication of a statement today , '' the palace press officer told CNN . U.S. trip planned for February . Hollande has not confirmed or denied the alleged affair but did threaten legal action . At his first press conference of the year , Hollande said he and France 's first lady were going through `` painful moments . '' The allegations had left Trierweiler 's position in some doubt , namely ahead of a planned trip to Washington in February . She has been Hollande 's partner for several years . An arts columnist for weekly magazine Paris Match , she is not married to Hollande but assumed the role of first lady at official functions following his election in May 2012 . Her attorney , Frederique Giffard , told French daily newspaper Le Figaro this week that the couple were working to issue a `` clarification '' concerning their relationship . Last weekend , Trierweiler left the hospital where she 'd spent a week being treated for stress and fatigue , Paris Match magazine reported . The same magazine also said she would recover for `` several days '' in an official residence in Versailles . Hollande , 59 , has seen his personal approval ratings plummet since his election , although this has been attributed to dissatisfaction with his leadership rather than disapproval of his private life . A recent survey by French pollster Ifop with Le Journal du Dimanche found that more than 80 % of respondents had not changed their opinion of the President based on the allegations of an affair . Hollande has four children from a previous relationship with Segolene Royal , a senior member of his Socialist Party and a 2007 presidential candidate . Royal announced their separation just after she lost the 2007 election to Nicolas Sarkozy . CNN 's Lilia Blaise contributed to this report .
Valerie Trierweiler sent farewell ##s to house ##wives . AFP quoted Hollande as saying ` ` I have ended my shared life '' with Trierweiler . News about President Obama 's personal life fueled a media frenzy . Trierweiler assumed the role of first lady after Hollande 's election in May 2012 .