Alec Baldwin bails on panel with Gawker honcho

NEW YORK – Is Alec Baldwin really done with public life… or did he just got cold feet?

Either way, a source close to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism told FOX411 Baldwin is bailing on a proposed panel with Gawker honcho Nick Denton.

“He canceled,” the insider said.

Academic Dean Bill Grueskin confirmed that an event involving Baldwin and Denton had been in works but isn’t panning out. Denton wrote in a post on Gawker that the panel was scheduled for March 31.

“It was discussed around those dates but unfortunately it’s not going to happen,” Grueskin told us.

When asked why the panel was being called off, Grueskin simply replied, “You would have to talk to Mr. Baldwin about that.”

According to Denton’s post on Gawker, which he linked to from his Twitter account, the event was going to be a debate about celebrity journalism.

Another source close to the situation told us that a journalist from the Hollywood Reporter was also set to participate in the event but cancelled as well. The source added that the debate had yet to be finalized.

One user commented on Denton's post asking if Baldwin would cancel following his lengthy New York Magazine essay, in which he bashes the media and announces he’s saying “good-bye to public life.”

Denton replied, “Yeah, he probably will now.”

Still, Baldwin isn't ready to be done with showbiz completely. NBC announced on Tuesday that the actor will guest star on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He will play a newspaper columnist on the show.

Baldwin’s rep declined to comment.

Fox News' Jana Winter and Leora Arnowitz contributed to this report.