Bode Miller reduced to tears by NBC reporter's repeated questions about dead brother (VIDEO)

NBC is feeling the heat after one of its reporters questioned bronze medal winning skier Bode Miller so much about the death of his brother he began to sob uncontrollably on camera.

Christin Cooper interviewed Miller just moments after he finished third in the Super G final Sunday, making the 36-year-old both the most medaled skier in history and the oldest person to win an alpine medal at the Games.

However, what should have been a happy moment quickly turned to tears when Cooper's quest to bring a personal insight to the story swerved out of bounds.

Miller was the first to mention his brother, Chilly, a snowboarder who died in April from a seizure, but Cooper continued to push to the point so much that the skier had to walk away.

Cooper badgered Miller about his brother well after Miller became visibly emotional.

As Miller began to tear up, Cooper asked if his performance was for Chilly. He struggled but managed to answer the question, saying that it wasn't for him but he wanted to make himself proud.

But then she asks whether he had been talking to his brother when he looked up at the sky before the start of the race.

That incessant line of questioning became too much for Miller as he fully breaks down, hunching over before walking away.

Finally, his wife, professional volleyball player Morgan Miller, comes to comfort him.

The interview was conducted on Sunday, and NBC's edit later that night showed Miller for more than a minute after the interview ended, crying, from different camera angles.

Twitter erupted with criticism for Cooper, with most saying she was too aggressive.

But Miller took to Twitter and defended Miller — who was also a skier before getting the TV gig.

"I appreciate everyone sticking up for me. Please be gentle w christin cooper, it was crazy emotional and not all her fault. #heatofthemoment' he wrote.

"My emotions were very raw, she asked the questions that every interviewer would have, pushing is part of it, she wasn't trying to cause pain."

I appreciate everyone sticking up for me. Please be gentle w christin cooper, it was crazy emotional and not all her fault. #heatofthemoment
— Bode Miller (@MillerBode) February 17, 2014

The win was Miller's sixth career Olympic medal over a 12 year span, and he now has sole possession of second place on the all-time men's Alpine medal list.

Bode Miller becomes oldest Olympic medalist in alpine skiing history

Andrew Weibrecht of upstate New York might have shocked the world with a silver medal Sunday after a kamikaze run down the Olympic men’s super G race course, but it was his teammate Bode Miller who made history with a bronze medal finish.

“Everything felt pretty raw and connected,” said Miller, who at 36 became the oldest Olympic medalist in Alpine skiing history. The oft-troubled Miller might have collected gold if it weren’t for a mistake on the lower section of the course.

Weibrecht initially thought the melting snow would hinder his late start position, but then he got a radio report from Miller, who was already at the finish line and told him to “f---ing pipe it” according to U.S. Ski Team coach Forest Carey.  Weibrecht's spectacular run knocked Miller into third place.

Kjetil Jansrud of Norway, who completed the course in 1 minute, 18.14 seconds, took home the gold.

Miller, who tied for bronze with Canada’s Jan Hudec, extended his American record to six career Olympic medals in Alpine skiing. Cameras showed Miller wiping tears from his eyes after the race, which he later attributed to thoughts of his younger brother, Chelone, who died last year.

“Skiing 80 percent would probably get me more medals, but it just doesn’t feel right,” said Miller, echoing a sentiment he has expressed more or less consistently throughout his entire 16-year career in elite-level Alpine ski racing.

Thanks for all the support, today was one of the most emotional days of my life. I miss my brother.
— Bode Miller (@MillerBode) February 16, 2014

Organizers moved the start time up an hour to assure that the top racers competed on a harder surface, and on some turns Weibrecht cut inside of the groove that the previous racers had left on the snow, a risky approach that paid off in speed.

Miller was also the silver medalist in super G at the Vancouver Games, where he finished behind Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway. Norwegians have won the gold medal in every Olympic men’s super G since 1998, when Hermann Maier of Austria took the gold.

Still, not a bad day for the USA.