Stars including Elizabeth Hurley and Boy George have been seen with black eyes

Others who've been pictured with bruising include George W. Bush and the Pope

Conspiracy theorists have asked why so many celebrities have had black eyes

A bizarre conspiracy theory has emerged suggesting that celebrities seen sporting a black left eye are part of the Illuminati.

Elizabeth Hurley, Boy George and Robert Downey Jnr are among the A-listers who have been photographed with bruising in the eye area in recent years.

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Former US President George W. Bush, along with the Pope, Prince Philip and Prince Andrew, have all also been photographed with black eyes.

According to some conspiracy theorists, the black left eye is part of a cult or 'Illuminati' high-level initiation ritual during which the pledger is said to be forced to 'eat pain' in a quest to become more powerful.

Conspiracy theorists have come up with a bizarre reason for why celebrities have sported black left eyes. Elizabeth Hurley shared a snap of herself with bruising in 2017

Boy George was pictured with bruising around his left eye at the Brit Awards in 2014. He said at the time it was 'fashion victim' make-up

The Pope, pictured in 2017, has also been pictured with a black eye, which was said to have been caused by a collision while he was riding his 'pope-mobile'

Author and internet radio show host Sherry Shriner - who wrote the book Interview With The Devil, in which she claimed to converse with Lucifer - has spoken of the link between these black eyes and 'soul scalping'.

According to Shriner, government leaders, people on TV with their own shows and hundreds of popular entertainers have sold their souls to Satan.

'You cannot be on TV now, without signing on the dotted line. The bizarre recurrence of facial bruises on Illuminati politicians and entertainers has resulted in speculation that their souls have been replaced in a satanic ritual called "soul scalping",' she said.

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Shriner, who died earlier this year, believed all the powerful people in the world have been soul scalped.

She said that this can one done in a number of ritualistic ways, all of which result in a 'possession', whereby the human soul is removed and the body taken over by the demonic entity.

In conspiracy circles, this process is also known as a 'walk-in'. Some people believe the blackened eye is a result of soul scalping.

Robert Downey Jr. appeared to have bruising around his left eye while attending a glitzy event back in 2005

Adam Sandler, pictured in 2011, previously joked his black eye was caused by a pregnant Drew Barrymore's unborn child punching him

The late David Bowie also appeared to sport a black eye while performing in 2005, which was described as being 'just for theatrics'

Meanwhile, celebrities have come up with various explanations for how they got their black eyes over the years.

When actor Adam Sandler was asked by Jimmy Kimmel four years ago how he got his black eye, he joked a pregnant Drew Barrymore's unborn child had punched him.

In other interviews, the actor had claimed the bruising was the result of playing basketball.

Boy George claimed the shiner he sported at the Brit Awards in 2014 was 'fashion victim' make-up, while the David Bowie's black eye, seen in 2005, was described as being 'just for theatrics.'

Meanwhile, George W. Bush has been quizzed about his shiners each time he's been spotted with them.

He attributed the first one - in 1992 - to a rather over-zealous snowballing from his grandchildren, the second in 2004 to a fall off his bike, and, more recently, he claimed he'd been hit in the face by a microphone stand, when it swung around and whacked him during a speech.

Royals have also been photographed with black eyes in the past, including Prince Philip. He is pictured here in 2004

Prince Andrew was also pictured with bruising under the eye while attending the Countess Mountbatten of Burma's funeral in June 2017

The Pope was said to have hit his eye when riding through the streets of Cartagena, Columbia in the 'Pope-mobile' last year.

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Several news reports stated that he had made a joke about the injury, saying that he'd been punched.

Conspiracy theorists have pointed out that even members of the royal family have been spotted with black eyes over the years.

Prince Philip was seen with one in both 2013, when a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said he had 'woken up with it', and in 2015.

Prince Andrew also sported a shiner when he attended the Countess Mountbatten of Burma's funeral in June 2017.

When asked at the time about the injury, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: 'This is not something we would comment on.'

George W Bush has been pictured with black eyes on a number of occasions, including in 2002 (above)

Former Democrat leader Harry Reid was pictured with bruising around his left eye in 2011

Other celebrities who have sported black eyes in the past include the former Democrat leader Harry Reid.

Ironically, US TV personality and gossip columnist Perez Hilton said his black eye was given to him by Polo Molina - the manager of the Black-Eyed Peas.

Cosmetic surgery can, of course, result in a temporary bruising around the eye area, so many are dismissed as being a result of this.

However, conspiracy theorists believe the number of famous folk who fall prey to this particular injury seems startlingly high.

There are many theories, including the suggestion that the black left eye is part of a cult or 'Illuminati' high-level initiation ritual.

The bruised left eye has also been referred to as the 'Illuminati shiner', a mark given to those who have scaled their way to the top of the elite pyramid.

US TV personality and gossip columnist Perez Hilton said his black eye was given to him, ironically, by the manager of the Black-Eyed Peas

Some researchers suggest a link between the bearers of black eyes to the worship of the Egyptian sun god Horus, whose left eye was black and represented the moon and whose right eye was white and represented the sun.

The story goes that he lost his left eye in a fight with his brother Set. Could the bruising of the left eye be a nod to this perhaps?

In the past, it was believed that a black eye was the 'devil's mark', as noted in the 1879 Freeman's Journal 'a black eye'.

However, many have been left wondering. In an article on America First Patriots, writer Noah Christopher questioned why so many politicians have black eyes.

He says: 'Sure, it's possible that a bunch of politicians just randomly started running into things and getting black eyes all around the same time.

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'And sure, some like McCain have very rational explanations like medical treatment, but I find it fairly odd.'

Reddit users have also given their points of view, with one also suggesting it was 'bizarre' how many celebrities have black eyes.

One wrote: 'It is bizarre as hell how many of them have black eyes. I grew up fighting, a LOT, even some bar fights and have had maybe one black eye in my whole life and not nearly as bad as those.

'Just like a stripe under my eye. Chances are slim to have so many in political "high" places like that with one.'