[Bug]: Upload field inside Array (nested in Rich Text) causes UI freeze and becomes non-interactive when adding images

Description

When an upload field is placed inside an array field — which itself is nested inside a Lexical rich text block — adding an image via the upload field causes the entire admin UI to completely freeze and become non-interactive. The screen stops responding to any user input (buttons, links, form fields all become unclickable). The only way to recover is to refresh the page, losing any unsaved work.

Environment

• Payload version: 3.79.1
• Node.js version: 22.16.0
• Affected package: @payloadcms/richtext-lexical, @payloadcms/ui
• Database adapter: @payloadcms/db-postgres 3.79.1
• Next.js version: 15.4.11
• React version: 19.2.1
• OS: macOS ARM64 (Darwin Kernel Version 25.3.0)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Clone my fork and install dependencies:

   git clone https://github.com/robinnicholasraja/payload.git
   cd payload
   pnpm install
   

2. Boot the test admin UI:

   pnpm dev _community
   

3. Log in with the default test credentials (dev@payloadcms.com / test)
4. Navigate to the Posts collection and create a new post
5. In the Rich Text field, add the "Gallery" block
6. Inside the Gallery block, add a new row to the array
7. In that array row, click the Upload field to select or upload an image
8. Observe: The entire admin UI freezes completely and becomes non-interactive

Expected Behavior

Adding an image through the upload field inside a nested array within a Lexical rich text block should work normally — the image should be selected/uploaded and the UI should remain responsive.

Actual Behavior

The UI becomes completely frozen and non-interactive after attempting to add/select an image via the upload field. No buttons, links, or form fields respond to clicks. A full page refresh is required to recover, and any unsaved work is lost.

Reproduction

Fork: https://github.com/robinnicholasraja/payload

Clone and run:

git clone https://github.com/robinnicholasraja/payload.git
cd payload
pnpm install
pnpm dev _community

The minimal reproduction config is located in test/_community/config.ts.

Additional Context

• A screen recording demonstrating the freeze behavior is attached below.
• The issue does not occur when the upload field is placed directly inside a block (without the intermediate array field).
• The issue does not occur when the upload field is inside an array that is outside of a rich text block.
• This suggests the freeze is specific to the combination of Rich Text (Lexical) → Block → Array → Upload.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/055b7edc-65eb-430e-9ce8-785a2479ed34