diff --git a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
index 8f60235ca3b6..1242964f6283 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native/React/Fabric/Mounting/ComponentViews/Image/RCTImageComponentView.mm
@@ -140,6 +140,12 @@ - (void)_setStateAndResubscribeImageResponseObserver:(const ImageShadowNode::Con
     observerCoordinator.removeObserver(_imageResponseObserverProxy);
   }
 
+  // Release the previous image to prevent memory accumulation
+  // when the source prop changes rapidly (e.g., in animations/slideshows).
+  // The UIImageView retains the UIImage, preventing deallocation until
+  // the next image arrives, which can cause significant memory growth.
+  _imageView.image = nil;
+
   _state = state;
 
   if (_state) {
@@ -301,4 +307,4 @@ - (void)didReceiveFailure:(NSError *)error fromObserver:(const void *)observer
 Class<RCTComponentViewProtocol> RCTImageCls(void)
 {
   return RCTImageComponentView.class;
-}
+}
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