Hollande 'Affair': Actress Denied Arts Job

The actress at the heart of the rumour of an affair with French president Francois Hollande has been blocked from joining a prestigious government panel.

Julie Gayet had been nominated to be a judge on the Villa Medici, a French cultural academy based in Rome which chooses artists to have a year at the centre.

But an unnamed official said France's culture minister Aurelie Filippetti had rejected the nomination.

The decision came a day after French President Francois Hollande's news conference where he admitted to problems in his love life but refused to comment on the alleged affair.

Hollande's first lady, journalist Valerie Trierweiler, has been in hospital since Friday, when the tabloid magazine Closer published photos which, it said, proved Mr Hollande's liaison with Ms Gayet.

Meanwhile, the embattled 59-year-old president refused to talk about his personal situation at Tuesday's news conference.

He told journalists: "I have one principle - private matters should be treated in private. This is neither the time nor the moment to do this.

"I will not reply to no question on this subject. I will do so by the deadline you have mentioned."

The deadline referred to is expected to be before a visit to Washington DC next month - Ms Trierweiler is due to go with him.

He also refused to talk about whether or not he would stay with Ms Trierweiler, his girlfriend of six years.

Neither she nor Ms Gayet have made any formal comment since the rumours first appeared last week.

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