Actress Julie Gayet is suing a magazine which claimed she was having an affair with French president Francois Hollande.

Gayet (41) is seeking €50,000 in damages and €4,000 in legal costs from the French edition of 'Closer', which she claims breached the country's privacy rules.

The magazine published photos taken outside a Paris apartment block, which allegedly showed Mr. Hollande arriving on the back of a scooter with his face covered by a helmet before leaving in the morning.

'Closer' pulled the story from its website following a request from Ms. Gayet's lawyer but did not order copies of its magazine to be pulled from newsstands.

Earlier this week, Mr. Hollande admitted he was going through a "painful time" in his life but said "private matters should be dealt with privately".

He said he was "totally indignant" about the story, which he claimed threatened France's principle of "respect for private life and people's dignity".

Mr. Hollande, who has himself threatened legal action over the pictures, is not married but has a long-term partner - Valerie Trierweiler - who acts as France's First Lady.

She has been in hospital since 'Closer' published its allegations and is said to be in a state of shock.

Ms. Gayet, a mother-of-two, is an established actress in France who also appeared in a 2012 election film for Mr. Hollande, in which she described him as "marvellous", "humble" and a "really good listener".

She took legal action in March over internet rumours about her alleged relationship with the President.