Hollande-Gayet affair going on for over two years: Report

French President François Hollande has been having an affair with actress Julie Gayet "for over two years", Closer magazine said Friday.

The magazine said the 41-year-old actress had first been introduced to 59-year-old Hollande in 2011 by his former partner Segolene Royal, when he was a front-running presidential candidate, The Independent reported citing the Closer report.

Hollande and Gayet's romantic affair goes back at least 12 months to December 2012, said the magazine, which revealed the affair a week ago.

The couple were seen together at an apartment near the Elysee Palace but moved to another location when the concierge of the building tried to photograph them together, the magazine claims.

Their affair resumed in June 2013 after a break in Spring when Hollande's official partner Valerie Trierweiler became suspicious about it, Closer said. A small apartment in the Rue du Cirque, 200 metres from the Elysee Palace, became available for them.

"From that moment onwards, the head of state and the actress were constantly together, visiting the apartment around 20 times," Closer said.

It was outside this apartment that Hollande was photographed Dec 31 in the morning wearing a large black motorcycle helmet.

According to Closer, the president and the actress also spent a weekend together in Hollande's holiday home at Mougins in the south of France Sep 28-29.

"At the Cabaret de Saint-Petersbourg, a brand new restaurant in Mougins, they have a clear memory of Julie Gayet and Francois Hollande dining there alone," the magazine said.

Gayet has announced earlier she would sue Closer for breach of privacy. On the other hand, Trierweiler, Hollande's official partner, remains in hospital where she was admitted after learning about the alleged affair a week ago.