Rumors of a pungent odor residing on Robert Pattinson are almost as well-circulated as the whispers romantically-linking the actor to his Twilight love interest Kristen Stewart. But accordig to co-star Peter Facinelli — who plays Bella’s dad in the vampire-themed films — Patt’z buzzed-about B.O. is all a part of an elaborate plot to give the British hunk a leg up on the paparazzi.

“He’s smart, because if he doesn’t changes his clothes and the paparazzi get pictures of him in the same outfit all the time, then they can’t sell the pictures,” Peter told New York Magazine at the Cinema Society screening of The Twilight Saga: New Moon last week.

In fact, it was Peter who first suggested Rob, 23, use stink to keep the shutterbugs at bay.

“That’s what I said he should do; I said, ‘You should not change your clothes, this way, how are they going to sell the picture of you in the same outfit all the time, because it will look like it was from the same batch,’” he continued.