diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/JSPointerDispatcher.java b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/JSPointerDispatcher.java
index 0f1a206ba0bfaa..eb970dfbfb443f 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/JSPointerDispatcher.java
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/JSPointerDispatcher.java
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ private void dispatchCancelEventForTarget(
     int activePointerId = eventState.getActivePointerId();
     List<ViewTarget> activeHitPath = eventState.getHitPathByPointerId().get(activePointerId);
 
-    if (!activeHitPath.isEmpty()) {
+    if (!activeHitPath.isEmpty() && targetView != null) {
       boolean listeningForCancel =
           isAnyoneListeningForBubblingEvent(activeHitPath, EVENT.CANCEL, EVENT.CANCEL_CAPTURE);
       if (listeningForCancel) {