diff --git a/apps/frontend/app/actions.ts b/apps/frontend/app/actions.ts
index b7580a4..f90371c 100644
--- a/apps/frontend/app/actions.ts
+++ b/apps/frontend/app/actions.ts
@@ -22,10 +22,22 @@ export async function addChannel(formData: FormData) {
   revalidatePath("/");
 }
 
+/** ShortVideo has a required FK to CandidateSegment (candidate_id) — every deletion path that removes candidates must clear their shorts (row + rendered file) first, or Postgres rejects the candidate delete. */
+async function deleteShortsForCandidates(candidateIds: string[]): Promise<void> {
+  if (candidateIds.length === 0) return;
+  const shorts = await prisma.shortVideo.findMany({ where: { candidateId: { in: candidateIds } } });
+  await prisma.shortVideo.deleteMany({ where: { candidateId: { in: candidateIds } } });
+  await Promise.all(shorts.filter((s) => s.filePath).map((s) => unlink(s.filePath!).catch(() => {})));
+}
+
 export async function deleteRawSegment(segmentId: string) {
-  const segment = await prisma.rawSegment.findUnique({ where: { id: segmentId } });
+  const segment = await prisma.rawSegment.findUnique({
+    where: { id: segmentId },
+    include: { candidates: true },
+  });
   if (!segment) return;
 
+  await deleteShortsForCandidates(segment.candidates.map((c) => c.id));
   await prisma.candidateSegment.deleteMany({ where: { rawSegmentId: segmentId } });
   await prisma.rawSegment.delete({ where: { id: segmentId } });
   await unlink(segment.filePath).catch(() => {});
@@ -35,6 +47,7 @@ export async function deleteRawSegment(segmentId: string) {
 }
 
 export async function deleteCandidateSegment(candidateId: string) {
+  await deleteShortsForCandidates([candidateId]);
   await prisma.candidateSegment.delete({ where: { id: candidateId } });
 
   revalidatePath("/segments");
@@ -44,11 +57,13 @@ export async function deleteCandidateSegment(candidateId: string) {
 export async function deleteChannel(channelId: string) {
   const sessions = await prisma.streamSession.findMany({
     where: { channelId },
-    include: { segments: true },
+    include: { segments: { include: { candidates: true } } },
   });
   const rawSegmentIds = sessions.flatMap((s) => s.segments.map((seg) => seg.id));
+  const candidateIds = sessions.flatMap((s) => s.segments.flatMap((seg) => seg.candidates.map((c) => c.id)));
   const filePaths = sessions.flatMap((s) => s.segments.map((seg) => seg.filePath));
 
+  await deleteShortsForCandidates(candidateIds);
   await prisma.candidateSegment.deleteMany({ where: { rawSegmentId: { in: rawSegmentIds } } });
   await prisma.rawSegment.deleteMany({ where: { sessionId: { in: sessions.map((s) => s.id) } } });
   await prisma.streamSession.deleteMany({ where: { channelId } });