diff --git a/core/modules/media_library/src/Form/AddFormBase.php b/core/modules/media_library/src/Form/AddFormBase.php
index 56ff257648..db5d6a7fcb 100644
--- a/core/modules/media_library/src/Form/AddFormBase.php
+++ b/core/modules/media_library/src/Form/AddFormBase.php
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 use Drupal\Core\Form\FormBase;
 use Drupal\Core\Form\FormStateInterface;
 use Drupal\Core\Url;
+use Drupal\file\FileInterface;
 use Drupal\media\MediaInterface;
 use Drupal\media\MediaTypeInterface;
 use Drupal\media_library\Ajax\UpdateSelectionCommand;
@@ -556,9 +557,16 @@ public function removeButtonSubmit(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state)
     $triggering_element = $form_state->getTriggeringElement();
     $delta = array_slice($triggering_element['#array_parents'], -2, 1)[0];
 
+    /** @var \Drupal\media\MediaInterface[] $added_media */
     $added_media = $form_state->get('media');
     $removed_media = $added_media[$delta];
 
+    // Immediately discard its file.
+    $file = $removed_media->get($this->getSourceFieldName($removed_media->bundle->entity))->entity;
+    if ($file instanceof FileInterface) {
+      $file->delete();
+    }
+
     // Update the list of added media items in the form state.
     unset($added_media[$delta]);
 
diff --git a/core/modules/media_library/tests/src/FunctionalJavascript/MediaLibraryTest.php b/core/modules/media_library/tests/src/FunctionalJavascript/MediaLibraryTest.php
index eff1fde6f0..5faf654b04 100644
--- a/core/modules/media_library/tests/src/FunctionalJavascript/MediaLibraryTest.php
+++ b/core/modules/media_library/tests/src/FunctionalJavascript/MediaLibraryTest.php
@@ -1340,6 +1340,8 @@ public function testWidgetUpload() {
     $page->pressButton('media-1-remove-button');
     $this->assertJsCondition('jQuery(".media-library-add-form__media[data-media-library-added-delta=2]").is(":focus")');
     $assert_session->pageTextContains('The media item ' . $filenames[1] . ' has been removed.');
+    // Assert the file was deleted.
+    $this->assertEmpty($file_storage->loadByProperties(['filename' => $filenames[1]]));
     // The second media item should be removed (this has the delta 1 since we
     // start counting from 0).
     $assert_session->elementNotExists('css', '.media-library-add-form__media[data-media-library-added-delta=1]');