During a trip to India, France's former first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, said on Monday that she was doing fine after her split from President Francois Hollande and that she felt "useful" doing charity work, Reuters reported.
The break-up of the couple, who were not married, was confirmed on Saturday by Hollande, who said in a curt statement that he had "ended his partnership" with the 48-year-old journalist.
Less than three weeks after the tabloid Closer set off a media storm by publishing photos of what it said was Hollande making nocturnal visits to the apartment of French actress Julie Gayet, 41, the announcement of the break-up was made.
After news broke of the alleged affair, Trierweiler spent eight days in hospital. It was followed by a week in seclusion, Reuters reported.
In her first public comments since the scandal broke, Trierweiler did not mention the break-up at the charity Action Against Hunger in India.
But she did give a tongue-in-cheek thank you to the French journalists who crowded the press conference for their "interest in malnutrition."
"I feel very well, it feels good to be here," said Trierweiler, when asked about her health. "I have the impression I'm being useful for something. Don't worry about me."
Early next month, Hollande is due to travel alone to the United States to visit President Obama. His announcement should put an end to the media scrutiny of his personal life, allies said.
"Trierweiler, a columnist for Paris Match magazine, had been in a relationship with Hollande since 2006. After his election in May 2012, she assumed the unofficial role of 'first lady' and had an office at the Elysee Palace with a budget of roughly 20,000 euros per month, while continuing to write," Reuters reported.
Still, some have criticized the way in which Hollande announced the break-up, with some politicians and journalists calling him callous in publicly repudiating his longtime partner.
"More like a pink slip than a break-up letter," conservative politician Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet told iTele.
Trierweiler, whom polls showed to be deeply unpopular with the public, did not respond to questions about her track record.
"I was there for 19 months. It gave me the opportunity to meet new people and maybe even discover a part of myself that I didn't know existed," said Trierweiler.
She said she did not know what her future held, but that she would continue to do humanitarian work, Reuters reported.
"I think that all together, we can do something, each in his or her own way," she said. "That's what I'll continue to do, whatever happens."
