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It might be as simple as Robert Downey Jr. having misread the UNICEF Snowflake Ball invitation as "Dress Code: Strictly black eye"; then again, it could have been something much darker, perhaps involving a series of jerryrigged bunsen burners, a ball peen hammer, and a dime bag of the finest street-grade reindeer dust procurable with minimal lead time. We shall never know, because Downey Jr. made no reference to it when he presented the Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award. Not that we can blame him; get just a bit too honest about your personal foibles, next thing you know you're the poster boy for tough guy facial injuries.

UPDATE: A reader alerts us to this elucidating item that appeared in Friday's NY Daily News:

Taking the stage to present Sting's wife, Trudie Styler, with an award, the 40-year-old Downey finally removed the shades and quipped to the crowd: "A little-known fact about Sting: In addition to being one of the world's most philanthropic rock stars, he's also got a hell of a left jab." Yesterday, Downey's flack explained that - seriously, folks - the actor's swollen bruise was "the natural by-product of his kung fu training."

[Photo: Getty/MSNBC]