Hollande's former partner tells of suicide attempt

Journalist Valérie Trierweiler attempted to swallow a large dose of sleeping pills after learning that her partner, French president François Hollande, was having an affair.

In a book published today, France's former first lady said she was stunned and horrified and "just wanted to sleep" after being told of the Hollande's relationship with actor Julie Gayet.

In her explosive book, Merci Pour Ce Moment (Thank You for the Moment), Ms Trierweiler (49) describes how she and the president tussled over a plastic bag containing the pills. She also reveals that after the split, Hollande (60) sent her flowers and affectionate text messages for months, vowing to win her back. Extracts from the 330-page book, released by independent publisher Les Arenes and printed abroad amid tight secrecy, were published in Paris Match yesterday.

Mr Hollande was reportedly unaware that Ms Trierweiler was writing an account of her seven months at the Elysée Palace. In it, Ms Trierweiler, who works for Paris Match, reveals how she learned Mr Hollande was seeing Ms Gayet (42) after paparazzi photographs of him visiting her apartment on a scooter appeared in January on the front page of the celebrity magazine Closer.

Until that moment, she says, he had sworn that rumours of the affair were “nonsense”.

– (Guardian service)