diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 35eac1a54..b9231cdb8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](http://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
+## Unreleased
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Fixed a memory leak on iOS, caused by the wrapping ViewController that was keeping a strong reference to the THEOplayerRCTView.
+
 ## [8.8.1] - 24-11-20
 
 ### Fixed 
diff --git a/ios/THEOplayerRCTBridge.m b/ios/THEOplayerRCTBridge.m
index 8f11cb4f6..5f795882c 100644
--- a/ios/THEOplayerRCTBridge.m
+++ b/ios/THEOplayerRCTBridge.m
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ @interface RCT_EXTERN_MODULE(THEOplayerRCTViewManager, RCTViewManager)
 
 RCT_EXPORT_VIEW_PROPERTY(onNativeCastEvent, RCTDirectEventBlock);
 
-RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(destroy:(nonnull NSNumber *)node);
-
 @end
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -114,6 +112,8 @@ @interface RCT_EXTERN_REMAP_MODULE(THEORCTPlayerModule, THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI,
 RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(setTextTrackStyle:(nonnull NSNumber *)node
                   textTrackStyle:(NSDictionary)textTrackStyle)
 
+RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(destroyPlayer:(nonnull NSNumber *)node);
+
 @end
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/ios/THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI.swift b/ios/THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI.swift
index da57220f0..9d2eff052 100644
--- a/ios/THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI.swift
+++ b/ios/THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI.swift
@@ -356,5 +356,14 @@ class THEOplayerRCTPlayerAPI: NSObject, RCTBridgeModule {
             }
         }
     }
+  
+    @objc(destroyPlayer:)
+    func destroyPlayer(_ node: NSNumber) -> Void {
+        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            if let theView = self.bridge.uiManager.view(forReactTag: node) as? THEOplayerRCTView {
+                theView.destroyPlayer()
+            }
+        }
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/ios/THEOplayerRCTView.swift b/ios/THEOplayerRCTView.swift
index 4822d1eed..a3c0738da 100644
--- a/ios/THEOplayerRCTView.swift
+++ b/ios/THEOplayerRCTView.swift
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ public class THEOplayerRCTView: UIView {
     
     // MARK: - Destroy Player
     
-    func destroyPlayer() {
+    public func destroyPlayer() {
         self.mainEventHandler.destroy()
         self.textTrackEventHandler.destroy()
         self.mediaTrackEventHandler.destroy()
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ public class THEOplayerRCTView: UIView {
         self.player?.destroy()
         self.player = nil
         if DEBUG_THEOPLAYER_INTERACTION { PrintUtils.printLog(logText: "[NATIVE] THEOplayer instance destroyed.") }
+      
+        self.theoPlayerViewController.view = nil
+        self.theoPlayerViewController.removeFromParent()
     }
     
     func processMetadataTracks(metadataTrackDescriptions: [TextTrackDescription]?) {
diff --git a/src/api/player/THEOplayer.ts b/src/api/player/THEOplayer.ts
index eab3f017f..4811c1313 100644
--- a/src/api/player/THEOplayer.ts
+++ b/src/api/player/THEOplayer.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ export interface THEOplayer extends EventDispatcher<PlayerEventMap> {
    */
   pause(): void;
 
+  /**
+   * destroy the player.
+   */
+  destroy(): void;
+
   /**
    * Whether the player is paused.
    */
diff --git a/src/internal/THEOplayerView.tsx b/src/internal/THEOplayerView.tsx
index cb765d032..1dfaf696d 100644
--- a/src/internal/THEOplayerView.tsx
+++ b/src/internal/THEOplayerView.tsx
@@ -144,15 +144,9 @@ export class THEOplayerView extends PureComponent<React.PropsWithChildren<THEOpl
     if (onPlayerDestroy) {
       onPlayerDestroy(this._facade);
     }
+    this._facade.destroy();
     this._facade.dispatchEvent(new BaseEvent(PlayerEventType.DESTROY));
     this._dimensionsHandler?.remove();
-
-    if (Platform.OS === 'ios') {
-      // TODO: move to native module
-      // on iOS, we trigger an explicit 'destroy' to clean up the underlying THEOplayer
-      const command = (UIManager as { [index: string]: any })['THEOplayerRCTView'].Commands.destroy;
-      UIManager.dispatchViewManagerCommand(findNodeHandle(this._root.current), command, []);
-    }
     this._facade.clearEventListeners();
   }
 
diff --git a/src/internal/adapter/THEOplayerAdapter.ts b/src/internal/adapter/THEOplayerAdapter.ts
index 6c65d5ff7..fb38307ce 100644
--- a/src/internal/adapter/THEOplayerAdapter.ts
+++ b/src/internal/adapter/THEOplayerAdapter.ts
@@ -483,6 +483,12 @@ export class THEOplayerAdapter extends DefaultEventDispatcher<PlayerEventMap> im
     }
   }
 
+  destroy(): void {
+    if (Platform.OS === 'ios') {
+      NativePlayerModule.destroyPlayer(this._view.nativeHandle);
+    }
+  }
+
   public get version(): PlayerVersion {
     return this._playerVersion;
   }