diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-10-19-19-33-35.gh-issue-159739.dee9a0.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-10-19-19-33-35.gh-issue-159739.dee9a0.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000000..891cf551730af2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/C_API/2026-10-19-19-33-35.gh-issue-159739.dee9a0.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix a reference leak when :c:func:`_PyTuple_Resize` fails.
diff --git a/Objects/tupleobject.c b/Objects/tupleobject.c
index 599ffad4f7b1027..d7523e317799711 100644
--- a/Objects/tupleobject.c
+++ b/Objects/tupleobject.c
@@ -1066,6 +1066,11 @@ _PyTuple_Resize(PyObject **pv, Py_ssize_t newsize)
 #ifdef Py_REF_DEBUG
         _Py_DecRefTotal(_PyThreadState_GET());
 #endif
+        /* The failed reallocation leaves the original items owned by v. */
+        i = oldsize;
+        while (--i >= 0) {
+            Py_XDECREF(v->ob_item[i]);
+        }
         PyObject_GC_Del(v);
         return -1;
     }